TULSA FIRE LOCAL 176 - tulsafirefighters.org

Local 176 History

Although the Tulsa Fire Department was established late in the 1899, they were not organized until June 6, 1900, when R.C. Alder was appointed Fire Chief.

The members of the Department associated with the "Oklahoma Territorial Firemen's Association" as an all volunteer Fire Department, Their equipment consisted of 300 feet of hose permanently connected to a main power pump at First and Main Streets, where any part of town could be reached by this hose.

The Department was reorganized in February 1904, as a "part paid" Department with the members receiving $2.50 a run. Equipment consisted of 2 hand drawn chemical wagons, one double 35 gallon and one single 40 gallon capacity.

On November 6, 1905, it was again reorganized as a full paid Department of four men, the members receiving $5.00 per run. The equipment consisted of one team of horses, and a combination hose and chemical wagon, with 2,000 feet of hose.

The Department was officially organized in 1919, when the membership affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). From this time forward the Tulsa Firefighters Association would be known as the International Association of Firefighters, Local 176.

The purpose of organized Firefighters is very much the same today as it was in the early 1900's With health and safety first and foremost, the Union negotiates contracts and represents the membership in grievance proceedings.

An activity by Firefighters that is often overlooked is public education. Public safety helps to make our job a little safer. That is why the IAFF Local 176 participates in fire safety programs and created a Smoke Detector Program for the citizens of Northeastern Oklahoma.

Even though our Association has affiliated with many organizations over the years, such as the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association (OSFA), the Professional Fire Fighters of Oklahoma (PFFO), the IAFF, and the AFL-CIO, all of the objectives are the same.

Those objectives are to improve the quality of life for its members and their families through contract negotiations, political awareness, public health, and education. The Union will continue to strive for these objectives.

(Taken from Tulsa Fire Dept. History Book 1905-1998 pg 216-219.)