Firemans Park

Fireman’s Park was originally the site of Engine House #6, built in 1890 and was demolished in 1974. Tacoma was the first city in Washington to establish a paid fire department. Within two weeks of the great Seattle fire of 1889, the Tacoma City Council voted to put its volunteer department on salary.

By 1917, fire fighters in Tacoma saw the need to organize and chartered a local with the AFL. Until that time, fire fighters worked 24 hours each day with an hour off for each meal and every eighth day off. After six weeks, they got a weekend off.