MultiMonster69 It certainly looks a lot older than 1989. That PPE is archaic.

@@Biffo1262 Would rather wear that today some days over full bunkers. Out in California I’ve seen them fight fires in jackets, helmets, and SCBA still.

I was wondering how old you were because that seems like a long time. But then I realized that my dad joined the fire department in ‘88 16 and is now 48. You’d really think that a 32 year fire department veteran would be way older.

Exactly. I feel right at home in NYC being a Bostonian. we’re all northeasterners.

I buffed on Rescue 1 out of Oliver Street in late 1980s.

Have a look at Google for the May 2000 firework factory disaster in Holland…..Escheden i think the name of the place is. Anytime I read about fireworks being stored illegally or badly I think of it.

+pvtpyle40able He was , he was like the Nimitz of Fireman, I had complete confidence in his abilities , it was such a sad day when it was announced he was leaving , and since the BFD was on a dramatic decline that you cannot imagine , thanks to the most corrupt City Administration in Boston's History (the Menino administration)

James Berlo didn't Leo retire and Martin Pierce become FC while Flynn was still mayor?

I admired, and respected leo stapleton very much. He was a fireman's fire chief. And he EARNED the respect that he received !!!! A TRUE JAKE !!!

Remember the Vendome.

sprinkler workers were working on the 2nd floor and had it temporarily disconnected.... dropping started a fire and they probably took off.... i was at this fire. saw a slight haze from Somerville .Got to mass ave Cambridge went towards the left over the mass ave bridge and there was a serious smoke cloud just starting to go up... thats when it started taking off. Was at the fire in 4 minutes from mass ave...

Commish

@@owensweetland342 Cap'n is another book he wrote.

Ladder crews don't wear the clumsy rubber boots.

R1 SmokeEater I heard something that he had passed away not too long ago.

My dad and uncle known him since they were kids. Both of them BFD..I have all his books autographed. He taps about my dad in one of the fires in his book

@@RenegadeChauffeur he passed on April 25th of this year.

Cambridge covers by the 3rd alarm.

That’s Boston for you

JB91710 read Leo Stapleton's book Commish, in which he describes this fire in detail. It will probably answer all your questions.

Yes PAID departments do test/check hydrants usually on a yearly basis. Either the FD or the water department in some cities. But no, they wouldn't be doing that "every day" as you ask. Too busy running other calls.

@@emt5330 you are exactly right !!!! It does !!!!

@@emt5330 JB doesn't care. The guy just doesn't have a life. All he does is troll fire videos on KZfaq telling everyone what an expert he is when it's as plain as a pikestaff he's just a 'bitter'. If he knew anything about the job he would have known even in the UK a hydrant check is once a year minimum and twice ideally. That job in the UK is done by hydrant mechanics and not firefighters any more but I'm sure he'll find some issue with that.

@@Biffo1262 personally I think he hates paid firefighters because he was never able to be one