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The Signal 51 Group
The Signal 51 Group
was formed in 1969 by five local Fire Buffs whose mission was and still is to
serve the Fire Department of the
 City of Shreveport. In 2006
we celebrated our 37th year of operation. Our organization is a member of the
International Fire Buff Associates, Inc. (IFBA). The IFBA has over eighty
five Fire Buff Groups in the United States, Canada and England that banned
together to further their ideals, on a common ground in promoting the
general welfare of the Fire Service and allied emergency services.
Since
we organized some of our founding members have passed away. They were Prez
Foster and Ron Aldin. They are both sorely missed by our group. They were
very fine and consistent men and gave a lot to support their fire
department. As we lose members we also gain members who come in with the
same enthusiasm and desire to serve as the older ones of us did when we
started the organization years ago. Our group now has 20 members.
What and who-the-heck
are fire buffs? The term is not defined
 in Webster's Dictionary; however,
to the estimated more than 50,000 Buffs in the U.S., most of whom are
"free lance" and do not belong to an organized group or club Mr. Karl Detzer comes closest to explaining our avocation when he wrote in the
Baltimore Sun as follows:
Fires to us are
not mere spectacles. They are demonstrations of strategy and tactics, for
behind the apparent confusion at any "working fire," there is generalship.
A real buff can tell at a glance
 just how the battle lines are drawn. The
placement of hose lines and ladders, the use of high pressure turrets and
water towers, the location of windows being smashed with axes - All these
are clues to what kind of fire it is, where it is centered and how the job
of extinguishing the blaze is progressing.
Today's Fire Buffs
are basically students of the Science of Fire Fighting together with an
active interest in a multitude of other activities designed to aid and
promote their local Fire Departments. One of the activities that the
Signal 51 Group participates
 in is providing refreshments to firefighters
at fires or incidents where weather conditions or the length of time
involved makes it one of our most important and probably our most
appreciated function. At multiple alarm fires you will usually find our
members in the re-hab. area. At these emergencies Signal 51 members
operate the local Salvation Army Canteen which supplies food and
refreshments to all the emergency workers and displaced citizens. We generally are all apparatus enthusiast
and some members can even tell you the make, model and year of each
Shreveport fire engine.
We act as a citizens'
public relations group for our Fire Department and combat unjust criticism
or ridicule. Most of us have attended the Citizen's Fire Academy which has
given us an entirely new perspective and a deeper respect for what
firefighters do. A member of our group was Chairman of the 9-1-1 Board, and
other are on boards and committees related to the Fire Service. Another
member has been president of the IFBA, and two others have been
vice-presidents. Every five years Signal 51 host a regional International
Fire Buff Associates meeting in Shreveport to show off our Fire
Department. The Fire Buffs who have attended from around
the country have always been highly impressed by our firefighters'
knowledge of fire fighting, their friendliness, and the appearance of our
equipment.
The group is always
interested in obtaining Fire Dept. memorabilia and was instrumental in
bringing the Shreveport Firefighters Museum into existence. We have taken
photos and videos of most major fires over the years and try to keep
 track
of the history of the S.F.D. We have a 1928 American LaFrance which is one
of our museum pieces. In the 1980's we had a 1969 American LaFrance
Pioneer I Pumper (ex-Engine 10) that we maintained and used in many
parades, weddings, fire dept. funerals, and other events when requested by
the Fire Chief. In 1997 we used a 1974 Pioneer II, in 2000 we used a 1983 American LaFrance.
and at present we have access to a 1988 Quality Monarch pumper. One of our members is
known nationwide for his expertise in restoring antique fire apparatus and
at one time had the largest and best private collections in the country.
Members of the Signal 51 Group have
radio scanners and Fire Dept. Pagers and are paged out when there is a
need for our canteen service. A few years ago after units were dispatched
to a fire at Libby Glass Manufacturing Company on a very hot summer
evening a chief officer was heard on the fire radio frequency barking out
to fire dispatch, "Give me a second alarm and tell the Signal 51 Group to
setup on the east and south sides of the fire building!" As
most of us were listening to our scanners that evening we did not wait for
the pagers to go off for us that time.
More on the
term Fire Buff
If you have a Highband Internet Connection click
HERE for the origin
of our organization's name.
Other Links that relate to us:
>>
Old TV Story
About What We Do <<
>>
Video of One of Our First Regional Meeting Events <<
>>
Another Event
at Barksdale AFB During Our First Regional Held in 1971
<<
>>
Video
of our 1995 Regional <<
>>
Photos of
our 1999 Regional <<
>>
Slide Show of our 2004 Regional <<
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