Looking at the badges in my collection frequently brings up memories. These two are no different. They are not a matching set, but close. The Hat Badge is stamped number "4," and the beautiful "Inspector's Badge" is numbered "24." Both of these items clearly show the City Seal of Newark, NJ. They are under glass with my other badges collected over the years from the City of Newark.
These items as I understand it are for non fireman within the Newark Fire Department. They date back to the late 1960's, and were used by officers who primarily focused on fire risk evaluation. When I first obtained them, I had the thought that this was from the "Arson Squad."
Today when I look at these badges a memory pops up that has absolutely nothing to do with these badges. The thought that the writer gets is the fires of 1968, and the role of a member of Newark's Fire Department.
Martin Luther King was murdered that year, and across the nation there was concern that people could become unruly. A good friend told me his father, a fireman with NFD, warned of dangers that could follow the burial of the civil rights leader. He was correct.
As my friend has told me many times his father was home in the Vailsburg section of the City when the call came. He was assigned to Engine 12, located at Belmont Ave and Waverly Street. The old Fire House is pictured above. It is now empty. The street names have also been changed. They are now Irvine Turner Blvd and Muhammad Ali Way.
Once the call came my friends' Dad reported to the Fire House at Sandford Ave. and Palm Street. There he rode Engine 6C to a fire at So. Orange Ave, and Howard St. They responded to a house fire. Their Engine was the second to arrive at the scene.
My friends' Dad led a hose team to the second floor of a previously burned out building. It was filled with smoke. As he moved forward he stepped on a carpet that covered a hole in the floor. He fell through striking a rafter, dislocating a shoulder and literally hung over the flames below, until help arrived.
The man survived and returned to work but in a new assignment. He was now an Arson Investigator. This was his job for the next 14 years.
Today he has his retirement badge, and there is no way he is going to part with it. I understand what it means to him. The items above will just have to continue to remind me of 1968, and the numerous incidents that took place during this time frame. Shots were fired, and fires were set; but this time it was lightly reported, and when it was, it was called just a matter of some Civil Disobedience.
By the way I did get a badge from the Arson Investigators son. It took a lot of nagging and a couple of threats. It's all part of collecting.
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