Board of Fire Commissioners Minutes, 1890-1896

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Seattle (Wash.). Board of Fire Commissioners
Title
Board of Fire Commissioners Minutes
Dates
1890-1896 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 volume
Collection Number
2800-01
Summary
Proceedings of Board of Fire Commissioners meetings, 1890-1896.
Repository
Seattle Municipal Archives
Seattle Municipal Archives
Office of the City Clerk
City of Seattle
PO Box 94728
98124-4728
Seattle, WA
Telephone: 2062337807
Fax: 2063869025
archives@seattle.gov
Access Restrictions

Records are open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

A Board of Fire Commissioners, consisting of the mayor and four elected fire commissioners who served four-year terms, was established by the 1890 Seattle City Charter. The Board created rules and regulations for the Fire Department, enforced penalties for rules violations, and appointed the Fire Chief. The Chief then appointed all subordinate officers of the Department. The Board had the power to terminate the Fire Chief or any subordinate employee.

Further responsibilities of the Board included making reports to the City Council regarding the operations of the Department, including statistics on the number of alarms responded to, fire damages, and the expenses of the Department.

The Board was abolished with passage of a new City Charter in 1896.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Minutes of the Board of Fire Commissioners, 1890-1896, report proceedings of Board meetings. Included are resolutions and policy decisions made by the Board and appointments for such positions as Chief of the Fire Department, Superintendent of Fire Alarms, Chemical Engineer, and fire fighters. Board actions taken in dealing with Fire Department employees, including applications for positions as well as resignations and disciplinary actions, are also discussed. An alphabetical index at the front of the volume lists the names of persons mentioned in the minutes as well as topics of interest.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[Item and date], Board of Fire Commissioners Minutes, Record Series 2800-01. Seattle Municipal Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Container(s) Description Dates
Volume
1 Board of Fire Commissioners Minutes 1890-1896

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Fire departments--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire chiefs--Selection and appointment--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire fighters--Dismissal of--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire fighters--Selection and appointment--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Fire fighters--Washington (State)--Seattle

Corporate Names

  • Seattle (Wash.). Board of Fire Commissioners
  • Seattle (Wash.). Fire Dept.

Geographical Names

  • Seattle (Wash.)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Minutes