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New Fire Chief
Tribune photo published Nov. 1, 1954

Today's modern Ames fire department is symbolized by these two trucks.  At center retiring Chief Sam Long turns over hs ring of keys to Kenneth Taylor, the new chief (left).  In the driver's seat of the city's truck at left is Bud McKera, with Floyd Peterson standing on the back.  Frank Gammon is in the driver's seat of the truck at right, property of the township trustees for rural fire protection.  Manned by the city forces, it is available to the city for use.

The volunteers were dissolved in 1934 when the [paid] force had grown to nine men.  Men were added yearly after that until the department now has 18 men besides the chief.  The department has been under civil service since 1922.

The force is divided into two eight-man companies.  Joe Hyler is lieutenant in charge of the college station in the stadium.  He became a firefighter in 1934.  G.R. Butler who retired the past year joined the department in 1932 along with Earl Quade who retired today along with Long.

These men, the present force and Long all helped build the department into one which has won four second awards and four honorable mentions in the state in fire prevention.  Awards for this year will be announced in December.

Optional equipment for the city department, owned by the trustees of the township, is a 1953 FWD with four-wheel drive and a 750-gallon pump and a 500-gallon booster tank, purchased by the trustees in 1953 for $14,700.  The property of the township trustees, it is manned by the city department for farm fires in the rural fire protection area and can be used by the city in emergencies here.  Downtown, the trucks are housed in part of city hall where the old horse-drawn wagon was kept as late as 1932.  The horses were kept there, too.  Long recalls, until "they perfumed the place up so much that a change had to be made." ...

Long recalls the first big fire to hit Ames after he became a firefighter.  It was in December, 1917, and burned the Odd Fellows building on Main street.  Everything was lost and only the walls remained standing.  That was a 1 a.m. fire and all 16 volunteers were out for it.  It was caused by spontaneous combustion in a pile of Iowa coal, Long says.

That, and the other firefighting is in the past for Long who now plans to just "take it easy."  It will be somewhat of a relief, he says, to get rid of the home alarm with which he and his family have lived for so long.  The direct alarm-phone hookup will now be transferred from 1129 Grand, Long's home, to Taylor's home at 316 S. Walnut, as Ames' new fire chief takes over.