METROPOLITAN FIRE ASSOCIATION ATLANTA

History of The Metropolitan Fire Association

By Chief Editor Dave Williams

Formation and Early Years

The Metropolitan Fire Association was formed in Bill Durrett’s garage on Muscogee Ave NW in Atlanta’s Peachtree Heights neighborhood on June 17, 1970. Officers were elected at that time, with Floyd McRae elected as Foreman; Ed Milam became the Assistant Foreman. The Secretary was Bill Durrett, and Peter Wilcox was elected Treasurer. Department Chief P.O. Williams, Deputy Chiefs Steve Campbell, Claude Lemke, and A.P. Black all supported the idea of an organized “Fire Buff club” in metro Atlanta. The first meeting to be held in an Atlanta Fire Department facility was on July 9, 1970, in the Board Room at AFD Headquarters, which at that time was at 46 Courtland Street SE.

Objectives and Purpose

The objectives and purposes of the MFA are:

  • TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY AND SPIRIT OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FIREFIGHTING PROFESSION.
  • THE PRESERVATION OF DOCUMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND RELICS PERTAINING TO THE HISTORY OF FIREFIGHTING.
  • INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE FIRE SERVICE.
  • TO SUPPORT THE FIRE SERVICE THROUGH ANY MEANS POSSIBLE.

Membership Categories

Membership in the MFA is divided into three categories:

Active Membership

ACTIVE membership includes anyone interested in the fire service over 21 years of age who is not a member of a paid fire department. Active members come from all walks of life, including advertising, architecture, engineering, law enforcement, merchandising, insurance, airline employees, computer technology, banking, and more. Interest in the fire service varies widely. Some collect toys, fire marks, badges, shoulder patches, helmet fronts, fire-related books and stamps, written history of area departments, antique fire engines, and any other items related to fire departments.

Professional Membership

PROFESSIONAL members are employees of paid fire departments who have an active interest in the goals of the MFA through response to major fire scenes, photography, or collections of items listed above. Our professional members represent many of the departments in metro Atlanta, including DeKalb County; Cobb County; Hall County; Dobbins Air Reserve Base; Marietta; College Park; Jonesboro; Clayton County; Decatur; East Point; Gwinnett County; Atlanta; Fort McPherson; Augusta; Riverdale; and the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office. There are also professional members in other states throughout the USA. We welcome your application and participation.

Associate Membership

ASSOCIATE members are persons who live over 100 miles from the City of Atlanta but would like to be informed of MFA and fire service activity in the area. We have associate members in many states throughout the country, as well as several in Georgia.

Governance and Meetings

The governing body of the MFA consists of a Foreman, Assistant Foreman, Executive Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors. Meetings are normally held digitally, on the fourth Tuesday of every month.  The MFA also conducts field trips as scheduled by the Board of Directors.  The MFA supports events put on by various metro area fire departments, as well as the National Night Out in August, and participates in a variety of parades during the year.

Monthly Newsletter: HOT NEWS

Information about MFA activities and a general report on happenings within the fire service in metro Atlanta are published monthly in our newsletter, HOT NEWS. The newsletter is sent by email to over 200 fire departments and people throughout the United States. Subscriptions to our newsletter are available.

The MFA’s Role in Firefighter Recognition

Atlanta was one of the few major cities that had no provision for awards for valor for its members. Founding member Floyd McRae presented the idea of an awards program to the Atlanta Fire Department in 1965. Although the officers accepted the idea, Department Chief C.H. Hildebrand Jr. did not. After the death of Chief Hildebrand in 1969, Floyd again presented the awards program to new Department Chief Paul O. Williams.

Fire Buffs and Their Contributions

MFA members, as an organized Fire Buff Club, have been “chasing” fires for almost 50 years. Many of the photos in department history “yearbooks” were taken by these buffs, and in many cases, the written narrative has been researched and written by MFA members. Very few other professions have dedicated followers like firefighting. The fact that buffs are on the scene of major fires at all hours of the day and night, in all kinds of weather, helps show this dedication to their hobby and to the fire service. Many exceptional photos have been missed over the years as MFA members have thrown their cameras over their shoulders to help pull a hose line, assist in removing victims, or “plugging” on an incoming engine or running to get equipment. Chief officers have used MFA members as “runners” to pass orders to various companies or pieces of equipment. In some cases, due to a rapidly deteriorating situation, these fire buffs have been assigned to actually operate hose lines and deluge guns to protect exposures and fight fire. We have changed hundreds of air bottles on SCBAs and helped companies “taking up” roll and reload thousands of feet of hose.

Canteen Service: Supporting Firefighters in the Field

Through this experience on the fire scene, the club recognized that on many large fires, fatigue becomes critical and refreshments or meals are needed for the operating crews. Although canteen service has always been available from the American Red Cross or Salvation Army, their response was frequently slow. MFA Directors met with Department Chief William Hamer in early 1985 and asked if he would support an MFA-operated canteen operation for the firefighters. He agreed there was a need for this service. The MFA researched alarms and canteen operations in Memphis, Nashville, Dallas, Shreveport, and St. Louis, to name a few. We determined the estimated cost and manpower needed for this undertaking. The membership donated money to begin service.

Later in 1985, the MFA purchased a 1960 Ford Boyertown Canteen Unit from the Box 54 Fire Buff Club in Teaneck, NJ. This apparatus had been custom-built as a canteen unit for the Teaneck Fire Department. The T.F.D. is on a 25-year replacement program, and even though the 1960 truck was in good mechanical condition with only 20,000 miles, it was declared surplus. The Box 54 club was delighted to see the truck continue to remain in the fire service and support firefighters. MFA member Paul Talbott and his wife Carol flew to New Jersey and drove the truck back to Atlanta. MFA members updated the apparatus, and it went into service as FIELD SERVICE UNIT 880 on April 1, 1986. The primary response area was the entire 131 square miles of the City of Atlanta.

Apparatus and Shift Calendar

To support various charitable activities, the MFA produces an Apparatus and Shift Calendar. This is a full-color calendar showing apparatus from the metropolitan Atlanta area.

Tax-Exempt Status

For many years, the MFA has been an Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) approved organization. We are also a registered corporation with the State of Georgia. Donations to the MFA are fully deductible on your income taxes, as they are to any approved charitable group.