On December 17, 1942, Portland, Maine Firefighters organized as “Portland Firefighters Local 740” of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

PFD Members had originally organized years earlier as “Local 133” of the IAFF in 1918, which was the charter year of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Records from the IAFF show nine names on the original 1918 charter:

             William J. Hawkins, President      
             Joseph L. Blake, Vice-President
             William S. Fuller, Correspondence Secretary 
            John J. Gubbins, Financial Secretary
           Frank P. Carr, Treasurer
                     

Frank D. Davis   
George P. Cady
Edward A. Hogdon
Frank E. Devine         

 

The address listed for the correspondence was Ladder Company 3, 163 Brackett Street, Portland, Maine.

In 1922, Local 133 forfeited their Charter in the wake of the famous Boston Police Strike in 1919 that eventually propelled Governor Calvin Coolidge to the White House.  This era saw many IAFF Local's disbanded across the country including Boston Local 718 (then Local 125).  Many of the Local's re-affiliated in the1940's with Local 740 rejoining almost 20 years to the day on December 17, 1942. 

(Editors note; the names are printed as accurately as can be determined from the documents in the IAFF Archives. Special thanks to Anne Marie in the IAFF Membership Department.)