Firemen

[Robert Walker]

Apologies if this has been covered before, but do we know why firemen were brought into the TSBD after the assassination? See http://www.jfk.org/go/collections/item-det...9.100.0025.0003 for the visual.

Was it because "...the police had requested their assistance in providing emergency lights to aid in searching the Depository, rope to hold back the growing crowds, and a ladder to assist in checking for possible evidence concealed in Depository ceilings..." or because firemen are in possession of an elevator key?

Is there any visual evidence of firemen bringing in lights and ladders?

From Warren Commission Testimony:

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

Mr. LIEBELER. In fact, did you let anybody in or out of the building?

Mr. SMITH. Well, now, we let police officers in, of course, and firemen.

Mr. LIEBELER. The firemen came into the building?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir; there was something on that that they had to get some--- what was that, I don't recall what it was that they come in there for now.

Mr. LIEBELER. There were some firemen from the Dallas Fire Department that went into the building?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

Mr. LIEBELER. Did they come back to the front door?

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

Mr. UNDERWOOD. I stayed in front of the building; actually, I stayed in the intersection of Elm and Houston and took movies of police arriving and fire--- and I think some fire equipment arrived on the scene, one firetruck or two fire-trucks, I'm not sure, and I just shot some general film on the area. I have since searched that film to see if I could see any face in it that would have been important to this.

Mr. BALL. Leaving the building?

Mr. UNDERWOOD. Yes; but I haven't found any except that of officers arriving and just people generally in the area; none of it, though, that you could---I spent several days at this, I guess during January when things had calmed down. I was on the side street of the building, around the front of the building and in the intersection for the next 10 minutes, then I went across the street to the courthouse and phoned several news reports to C.B.S. in New York and described what was taking place in the building at that time. There were firemen with ladders in front of the building and officers running in and out and they cordoned off the building and kept the spectators out of the building, but there was quite a time lapse between the time the shots were fired and the time anyone checked the building. The main effort was to run to the railroad yards instead of the School Book Depository.

Mr. Ball.

When you got to the first floor, what did you see?

Mr. Williams.

When we arrived to the first floor, the first thing I noticed was that the policemen had rushed in. I think some firemen came in with a water hose. And then the next thing that happened, these detectives, or maybe FBI--anyway, they stopped us all and they said, "Do you work here?" And we told them yes. And they took our name, address, and they searched everybody. And then the other fellow--I think one fellow asked whether we had been working upstairs. I think we told him yes. They got out all the fellows I think that was working on the sixth floor at the time, and they took us all down to the courthouse, I think, and we had to fill out some affidavits and things.

[Bernice Moore]

As far as I have read, Robert, they were needed for providing more lighting...the 6th Floor etc, only had single light bulbs

hanging from the ceilings, which would probably not give much for searching...

Here are some photos below....They were there with their ladders and all......I believe they are from Cook and Cooper films.

B...

Edited December 5, 2008 by Bernice Moore

[Robert Walker]

As far as I have read, Robert, they were needed for providing more lighting...the 6th Floor etc, only had single light bulbs

hanging from the ceilings, which would probably not give much for searching...

Here are some photos below....They were there with their ladders and all......I believe they are from Cook and Cooper films.

B...

Thanks Bernice!