I. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:

Congratulations and welcome to the Long Beach Fire Department! You will be pleased to know that you are joining a department with a deep-rooted appreciation of its history. Originally established as a volunteer organization in 1888, the Long Beach Fire Department became a paid organization in 1902. You have joined an aggressive fire department that respects its history and looks forward to the future.

Prior to 1924, Long Beach had no training facilities. Each Officer conducted drills at the station or in the street adjacent to the station. Methods varied and each officer trained according to his own views.

In 1924, Chief G. C. Craw sent Assistant Chief Minter to Fresno, which was, at the time, recognized as the leading City in the nation for fire training. When Assistant Chief Minter returned he set up drill evolutions based on Fresno training methods and manuals.

An organized system of training was established in 1926 when Captain Charlie Jones was detailed as the first Drill Instructor. He formulated evolutions and drills for all companies. Currently, the 1400 block of Peterson Avenue is the location of Station 10 and the Fire Museum. However, in 1930, a drill school and tower were located at 1441 Peterson Avenue. The facility was constructed by Fire Department personnel and supervised by City carpenters. The "Fire College" was a very small wooden building with a classroom capacity of approximately 20 students and a tower constructed of wood.

Eventually, Captain E. Steiner was appointed by Civil Service examination as Drill Master and was assigned the job of formulating a manual and drill evolutions. The roots of the Basic Recruit Training Manual that you are reading were established in the late 1930’s. This Manual is a part of the history of the Long Beach Fire Department and the product of many dedicated firefighters.

On July 9, 1964, the Fire Department dedicated the current Training Center, which sits on a five-acre site at 2249 Argonne Avenue and is dominated by the six-story concrete drill tower. It is within this facility that you will be spending the next 14 weeks as you prepare to be the future of the Long Beach Fire Department.

Next Page-Conduct