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Fire Prevention Bureau
On August 14, 1922, Chief Flintham assigned
me to the enforcement of a new state statute known as “The
Fire Menace Abatement Act.” Thus, the Fire Prevention
Bureau was born but its efforts to provide general fire prevention
service were materially restricted for several years because
of the lack of adequate fire prevention regulatory measures
and permanent personnel. However, I was assigned temporary
assistance by the detailing of various members, and through
persuasion we extended our activities to schools, theatres,
oil fields and other major institutions and activities dealing
with high hazard and risk. On November 1, 1924, I qualified
as Fire Prevention Engineer by Civil Service examination.
Robert L. Dunlap was appointed Assistant Fire Prevention Engineer
February 1, 1925, qualifying by Civil Service examination
May 21, 1925. On July 1, 1925, Chief Dunlap was appointed
Acting Fire Prevention Engineer upon my assignment as Chief
Assistant and Deputy Chief pending examination. On the same
day, Junior Captain Clarence J. Thrapp of Engine 3 was appointed
Acting Assistant Fire Prevention Engineer, he having been
one of the first volunteer firemen in the Belvedere Gardens
area under volunteer Chief Roy K. Dere, and after the District
was formed, became a fireman in February 1924, and the next
September a Junior Captain.
As Chiefs Dunlap, Thrapp and I all successfully
passed number 1 on our examinations we received our permanent
appointments. I wish to stress the fact that I took this examination
as well as that for Assistant Fire Warden in 1922, and the
one for Fire Prevention Engineer above mentioned, because
several years ago the grapevine had it that I had never taken
a Civil Service examination for my present position and was
merely a political appointee of the Board of Supervisors.
The Bureau personnel increased slowly,
among those well known being N. C. (Pop and/or sergeant) Carson,
transferred from Fireman at Engine 8. West Hollywood-Sherman,
to Theatre Inspector on April 27, 1927, returning to Engine
8 on July 25, 1927; and T. W. Haney from Engine 2, Laguna,
August 15, 1927, until May 31, 1930, when he returned to Fireman
status at Engine 15, Santa Fe Springs. Chief Dunlap severed
connections with the Department on November 3, 1930, and was
succeeded by Acting Fire Prevention Engineer Thrapp who received
a permanent appointment as Fire Prevention Engineer January
26, 1931. The latter's position of Assistant Fire Prevention
Engineer was filled on February 25, 1931, by Joseph E. Hamm
from the Fire Prevention Bureau of the Alhambra Fire Department.
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