Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Engine Co. No. 27
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Engine Co. No. 27, home of the Fire Dept. Museum
Location	1355 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Built	1930
Architect	Peter K. Schabarum
Architectural style	Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	85002559
Added to NRHP	September 24, 1985

The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial is located in a historic building called Old Engine Co. No. 27. This building is also known as Fire Station No. 27 and can be found on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood.

The museum is home to many old fire engines and equipment, some of which are from the 1880s. It also has a special library and a learning center where you can learn about fire safety. This important building was recognized as a Los Angeles Cultural-Heritage Monument in 1976. Later, in 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Right in front of the station, there's a special memorial for firefighters. It has a wall with the names of all Los Angeles firefighters who have died while on duty. There are also five life-size statues of firefighters, honoring their bravery.

History of Engine Co. No. 27
- Saving the Historic Fire Station
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum
Fallen Firefighters Memorial
See also

History of Engine Co. No. 27

When Engine Co. No. 27 opened in July 1930, it was a huge building. At about 20,000 square feet, it was the largest fire station west of the Mississippi River. The building was designed in an Italian Renaissance style.

For over 60 years, this old fire station served the Hollywood area. This included helping the famous movie studios and the stars who lived in the Hollywood Hills. The building itself was even used as a filming location for movies! Famous comedians like The Three Stooges and Buster Keaton filmed there.

Sometimes, filming at a working fire station could be tricky. In 1937, a real fire broke out while a movie studio was filming Two Platoons at Fire Station No. 27. The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported what happened:

The movie crew was there, and the fire equipment was part of the background. Dick Foran and Robert Armstrong were in the middle of a scene when the fire alarm suddenly rang. For Battalion Chief Rothermel, making a movie didn't matter at that moment. Before the director, (John) Farrow, could finish the scene, the fire engines were already speeding off to a brush fire in the Hollywood Hills. The movie company had to wait an hour before they could start filming again!

In 1950, Captain Michael J. Carter of Engine Co. No. 27 died while fighting a fire at a record-making factory in Hollywood. Captain Carter is one of the brave firefighters honored at the memorial in front of the station today.

One firefighter, Lawrence T. O'Neill, worked at Station 27 for a very long time – 34 years! He started in 1929 and retired in 1963. He remembered fighting big fires like the Paramount sound stage fire in 1929 and many others over the years.

Saving the Historic Fire Station

In 1976, there was a disagreement about the station's future. The Fire Department wanted to oppose making Station No. 27 a Historic-Cultural Monument. They worried that this special status would stop them from rebuilding or selling the station.

However, despite their concerns, Fire Station No. 27 was officially named the city's Cultural-Historical Monument #165 in October 1976. This historic title actually saved Engine Co. No. 27. In 1984, the Los Angeles Fire Department planned to tear down 16 old fire stations. But because of its historic status, Engine Co. No. 27 was saved from demolition.

The station was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Instead of tearing it down, a new fire station was built right next door. The old building was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. But it was carefully repaired to look just like it did before. Now, it serves as a museum to honor the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Los Angeles Fire Department Museum

Model T fire engine on display at the museum

The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum opened in October 2001. This was just a month after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, and the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia.

Inside the museum, you'll find walls covered with old photographs showing the department's history. The museum displays several old fire engines, tools, and historical firefighting equipment. Some of these items date all the way back to the 1880s. There's also a special research library and a learning center. Here, kids and adults can learn important lessons about fire safety and emergency procedures.

The museum's main supporter is William Rolland, a retired Los Angeles firefighter who received a Medal of Valor. Rolland believes in teaching young people. He said, "A museum is not something you finish; museums are something you start. We will teach and educate children and their parents in fire safety awareness, emergency procedures and EMS technology of today."

In 2003, the Los Angeles Times newspaper wrote about the museum. They said, "With its high ceilings, six old-fashioned brass fire poles and nearly a dozen antique fire engines, the Los Angeles Fire Department Museum looks like a set from a Hollywood back lot. ... But Fire Station 27 has a greater purpose: keeping the flame of L.A. Fire Department history."

The Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society also runs three other museums. These include the Los Angeles Harbor Fire Museum in San Pedro, the Plaza Fire House near Olvera Street, and the African American Fire Fighter Museum.

Fallen Firefighters Memorial

In front of the museum, you'll find the Fallen Firefighter Memorial. This special place includes a memorial wall. On it are the names of every Los Angeles firefighter known to have died while on active duty.

The memorial also features a series of life-size bronze statues. These statues show five firefighters in action. Two firefighters are shown fighting a fire. A fourth figure is helping a fallen firefighter. The fifth figure is the fire captain, making a decision and also caring for the injured firefighter. These powerful statues were designed by Los Angeles Fire Captain Harold Dwayne Golden. They were created in Minnesota by a group called Honors for Excellence.

In 2005, firefighters held a torch relay through the city. This event helped raise money for the memorial, which was expected to cost $1.5 million. Each group of firefighters in the Los Angeles Fire Department took turns running about 13 miles with the torch. At the time, firefighter Dominic Pascal said, "You don't want to forget your family members, and we don't want to forget ours. ... It's a significant, emotional event when you lose someone in a fire."

Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial facts for kids

Contents

History of Engine Co. No. 27

Saving the Historic Fire Station

Los Angeles Fire Department Museum

Fallen Firefighters Memorial

See also