Sewer explosion, December 8, 1966

Dispatch call, December 8, 1966

Description:	This is a digitized recording of a dictabelt, which the Indianapolis Fire Department used to record dispatch calls during the 1960s and 1970s. Following are the calls on this dictabelt: 1) Caller from WGEAL, asking if firemen are evacuating people. Dispatcher informs him that several people have been injured and people are being evacuated. 2) Caller wants to know if she can get through 10th street, DIspacher informs her 10th street is clear. 3) Frank Rosen of Citizens Gas calls to askl about the exact area of explosions, dispatcher informs him that the area is about a mile radius north and east of 25th and Hillside. 4) Wayne Township Fire Department calls to say theyre available if IFD needs them. 5) Bob McGrath calls to report an accident at 4959 Winthrop. Dispatcher sends 31s to respond, informs McGrath that few staff are available because of explosions. 6) Caller lives near Dearborn, wants to know about sewer explosion. 7) Second call about accident at 4959 Winthrop. 8) Caller asks about explosions on Hillside, asks if houses in the vicinity of 23rd and Langly need to be evacuated, Dispatcher informs her that if no one has come to tell her she should be fine. 9) Water company calls to ask about the second alarm fires, all in the sewers no houses involved, second alarm hit for precautionary measures. 10) Greenwood Fire Department Larry Meyer, supervisor of maintenance at Meridian Mutual, heard about gas explosions around 28th and Keystone. Asks if he and his colleages at 29th and Meridian would be ok, dispatcher assures him gas empties into Fall Creek. 10) Woman requests help with a flooded basement, dispatcher informs her they cant spare anyone and she needs to call a plumber. 11) Woman calls to ask if she can go home to 2800 N Keystone calls to ask if she can go home, dispatcher says her home just got the all clear. 11) Basement on fire at 2442 Station. Engine 21 sent to investigate. 12) Caller at 3248 N Capitol says her basement flooded, gas needs to be cut off, no one available at gas company and she doesnt know how to turn off the gas. Engine 16 sent to assist. 12) Sid(?) calling from the Star, looking for ages and addresses on a couple injured firemen, Steve Holliday, Zach Baxter, and Captain Gene Haley. Star reporter informs dispatcher about condition of firemen when they left the scene for General Hospital. 13) Mrs. -- , her house is flooded with water and her pump is broken, dispatcher tells her to call a plumber. 14) Caller asks whats going on with sewers, everythings blowing up. Asks if its safe to go home to 2746 Brown dispatcher assures her she should be safe. She sees firemen near her home so she decided to go ask them. 15) Caller Bob asks if dispatcher has notified the wives of the four firemen who went to the hospital. Baxter, Holliday, Haley, and Elliot, none seriously injured. Recording ends at 5:14 PM. Dictabelt
Origin:	1966-12-08
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/ffm/id/90504
Collection:	Indianapolis Firefighters Museum
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/;
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Emergency communication systems Fire departments--Indiana--Indianapolis Fires--Indiana--Indianapolis Indianapolis (Ind.). Fire Department--History

Further information on this record can be found at its source.