Description
At 5:12 on the morning of April 18, 1906, a mild foreshock shook San Francisco. Twenty-five seconds later, the Great Earthquake, lasting almost a minute, devastated the City. In San Francisco, this historic event is more often referred to as the Great Fire.
Within the first hours, 52 fires spread across the City. The quake destroyed the central fire alarm and telephone systems; thus, no alarms sounded to the 584 members of the Fire Department. The department was without any means of communication; every company was on its own.
The engine companies responded to visible fires but discovered the quake had broken most of the water mains. As firefighters searched desperately for working hydrants, small-unchecked building fires merged into large, uncontrolled fires. Before long, the conflagration engulfed 4.7 square miles of the City.
Despite these setbacks and challenges, the San Francisco Fire Department fought on, day and night until, late in the evening on April 20th, they extinguished the fire and saved the City.
Everything Took Time transports you to those three eventful days in April 1906 to experience the heroic battle of the San Francisco firefighters. Author Bill Koenig gives the events immediacy citing contemporary newspaper articles and takes you behind the scenes with previously unpublished officers’ reports. Leave your 21st-century viewpoints behind and read how the department managed a disaster of this magnitude without the tools we have today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Koenig was born and raised in San Francisco. In 1970, he became a proud member of the San Francisco Fire Department.
Throughout his career, Bill searched for material and photographs chronicling the history of the SFFD. Because of this passion, Bill has become known as the department historian.
In 1973, he was one of the four founders of the St. Francis Hook & Ladder Society, the first historical group in the Department in 30 years.
In 1974, the San Francisco Fire Commission named the St. Francis Hook & Ladder Society the sponsor of the San Francisco Fire Department Museum. While actively working as a firefighter, Bill was appointed the Museum‘s volunteer director.
In 1977, the Chief of Department Andrew Casper named Bill the Fireman of the Year for his valuable contribution and dedication to the Department Museum.
In 2005 Bill was honored with the title of Museum Director Emeritus.
Since his retirement in 2000, he has provided over 1,500 pages of content for the SFFD Museum’s website.
Everything Took Time is Bill’s first book. While there are many books about the 1906 earthquake and fire, this is the first to focus specifically on the three days of action by the Fire Department that saved San Francisco.
Jack McCloskey, SFFD –
Wow! My copy of the book arrived today and ruined my day. I could not put it down and didn’t finish my chores. It is utterly fantastic. Really, really well done. It far surpasses some of the other books on the subject. Focusing just on what the fire dept’ did was really unique. You certainly have a great talent for history. ~ Jack McCloskey, SFFD
Jim Scott, SFFD –
“It is fabulous. Hours of perusing it will be an absolute pleasure. What an amazing piece of art. I am reading it slowly trying to digest each paragraph and trying to place myself at each location, having been there in modern times makes this even more exciting. Knowing how we fought the greater alarms and then having incite to what must have seemed an impossible task is breath taking. I thank you for this treasure and will enjoy it for many a day as I relax and peruse the book.
Michael Tremblay, President of Pine Tree SPAAMFAA of Maine –
“Got my book today what a great chronology of what happen to the SFFD and the other side of the story of the Great Quake that happen. All the books and videos of the event do not do justice to this book. Congratulations on a job well done.
Paul Barry, SFFD –
“I gotta say this is one comprehensive encyclopedia of information on 1906. A definite reference book for SFFD historians. Good job!”