Emergency Crew/Special Services

The Emergency Crew was organized on January 3, 1926. The company was comprised of a group of mechanically inclined firemen who provided upkeep and made minor repairs to the apparatus. They would stop at each firehouse and change the oil along with lubricating the axles, etc. of the in-service apparatus. The Emergency Crew also responded to extra-alarm fires city-wide to ensure the apparatus on the fire grounds was operating properly. They would respond to the fire with the fuel truck to refuel the apparatus operating at the fire. Also assigned to the Emergency Crew was a wrecker for towing rigs that were broken down. Chief Engineer William H. Murphy first proposed the formation of the unit in his annual report for 1916 but it took ten years for the proposal to come to fruition.

In 1942, the Emergency Crew built a searchlight truck using donated materials. A former patrol wagon, built on a 1935 Dodge chassis, was acquired from the Sheriff’s Department. The Pennsylvania Railroad donated generators and searchlights. The cost to the city for constructing the searchlight unit, in addition to the salaries of the Emergency Crew, was $10. This covered the cost of paint and pipe.

In the aftermath of World War II, the department purchased a new fuel truck and a new wrecker as military surplus. These vehicles were assigned to the Emergency Crew. On April 9, 1952, the Mobile Hospital Unit was placed in service with the Emergency Crew. This piece was donated to the department by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). It was originally donated to the OCD by the Reading Railroad in 1942. One member of the Emergency Crew was detailed to drive the piece to the scene where it was staffed by one of the fire and police surgeons.

The Emergency Crew was renamed the Repair and Special Services Section on October 31, 1952. There was no change to their duties as a result of the name change. In the ensuing years, additional specialized apparatus was assigned to Special Services. All of the apparatus was numbered starting in the nineties preceded by S.S. The cover photo of this post shows the line-up of firefighting apparatus contained in the Special Services Section in the early 1950s being housed in the 6th Street above Lehigh Avenue station. Please note in the upper left-hand corner (photos below) is SS 99, better known as the “Giant Deluge.” Operation of this apparatus with its voluminous water stream can be seen in a YouTube video titled, “Philadelphia Fire Department 1958.”

On October 20, 1957 the Repair and Special Services Section was disbanded. The specialized apparatus assigned to the unit was dispersed among companies throughout the city. Maintenance of apparatus became the sole responsibility of the Office of Fleet Management.

SS 99 Giant Deluge

SS 98 compressor truck

Special Services mascot

Line up of fire apparatus assigned to Special Services.

The Hospital Unit

1922 Mack fuel truck

1922 Mack wrecker

1935 Dodge/1942 PBF search light truck

1942 International fuel truck - ex US Navy

1944 Diamond T wrecker - ex US Army

SS 100 foam unit

SS 101 tender to SS 100

About the Author: Jack Wright

Jack Wright (April 11, 1963-April 6, 2021) was a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, PA. As a child he was fascinated with fire engines in general and those of the Philadelphia Fire Department in particular. He chased them his entire life. From his early days of grammar school, he watched Engine 53 and Ladder 27 responding to alarms in his South Philadelphia neighborhood. Those scenes made an indelible impression on him. It was at that time that he began collecting photographs relating to the Philadelphia Fire Department. With his interest in the Philadelphia Fire Department and its history, it was only natural that he found himself at the Fireman’s Hall Museum. In May of 1988 he began working as a museum volunteer. While working there he became involved in researching the department’s history, as well as documenting it. Some of his research has been used by the Philadelphia Fire Department to evaluate their operations and procedures and make changes where necessary. On October 14, 2007 Jack was named the official Philadelphia Fire Department Historian by Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. Jack served on the Board of Directors of Fireman’s Hall. He also was a contributing editor for Fire Apparatus Journal. Jack co-authored Hike Out, the only written history of the Philadelphia Fire department ever published. In addition, he published Philadelphia Fire Apparatus Volume 4. He wrote a number of articles relating to the department’s history that have been published in various magazines and newsletters and posts a history blog on the internet. Jack provided presentations to various historical societies in the Philadelphia area regarding the Philadelphia Fire Department.