Joseph Schneider Rode Into Flames for 46 Years

Ding dong bell! Ding dong bell! List to the call of the old fire bell. Heed it well! Heed it well! Joe's off to the fire in mad pell-mell. -Joseph Schneider – Fireman Extraordinary

This short poem appeared in the January 5, 1921, issue of the Riverside Daily Press, calling attention to Riverside Fire Chief Joseph Schneider, who served the city fire department for 46 years, the longest tenure in the history of the Riverside Fire Department.

Joseph Schneider was born on March 7, 1863, in Sainte Marie, a small village in southeastern Illinois. At the age of 13, he left school and went to work in trades such as farming and railroading. In 1886, young Joseph came West, settling in Riverside with one year in Perris. He worked in various grocery stores, including the Blue Front, J. R. Newberry, and Witherspoon Grocery. On Nov. 4, 1890, he married Nettie Jackson, who had moved to Riverside from Canada. The couple had two daughters – Rena and Muriel.

While still in the grocery trade, in 1888, just two years after arriving in the city, he became a volunteer or "call man" for the Riverside Fire Department, the start of his 46 years of service. Leaving the grocery business in 1898, Schneider was appointed constable for Riverside Township, a post he held for several years.

While still acting as town constable, Joseph was chosen by the fire department members as fire chief in 1901. The following year, he showed his regard for the city and for protecting the buildings by organizing a series of demonstrations to teach citizens how to properly use the fire boxes located around the city. He encouraged every resident to attend to help keep their property safe and to ensure fast responses from the fire department.

In 1905, the selection of the fire chief was changed to an appointment by the president of the board of trustees and later by the mayor of the city council. That year, C. L. McFarland appointed him to chief of the department, and every mayor after that did the same through 1926. He held that position of leadership until 1926, a total of 26 years. During his years, the Riverside Department underwent tremendous growth and modernization. During his early tenure, the city built a new fire station near the corner of Eighth (now University) and Lime. At a cost of $10,000, the station opened early in 1906 to very favorable reviews. Fire Chief Schneider proudly showed off the new facilities to many visitors. The old Methodist Church bell, which had been in the tower of the Evans building, was moved to this new firehouse. However, the Arlington Hotel across the street cut off the sound to Main Street. Schneider suggested raising the bell tower a few feet and installing a hood to better project the sound.

Throughout his years, Chief Schneider pushed for newer and better equipment. In 1909, he persuaded the city to purchase a Seagrave Chemical engine, the first mechanized vehicle. The engine was a six-cylinder with 43 horsepower and could travel up to 35 miles per hour with five men and equipment. The equipment included 1,000 feet of fire hose, 200 feet of chemical hose, a 12-foot ladder, and a 24-foot extension. Riverside, under Joseph, moved into the modern age of vehicles. Three years later, in 1912, Schneider convinced the city to purchase two more engines from the Seagrave factory. Each truck had an 80-horsepower six-cylinder engine. One of the two was geared to travel up to 50 miles an hour, quite the speed in 1912! Equipment included 250 feet of chemical hose, 1,200 feet of regular hose, a 24-foot extension ladder, and a 14-foot wall ladder. The first Seagrave engine from 1909 was moved to the Arlington station.

Schneider oversaw the purchase in 1923 of an American La France combination pumper and, in 1925, two more La France triple combination pumpers.

In a history of the Riverside Fire Department, the authors claimed that Chief Schneider might have been accident-prone. In 1909, while fighting a fire in Arlington, he was overcome by the smoke. To escape, he broke through a glass door and was severely cut. Another accident might have led to the end of his career as the chief and an active fireman. It was said about him that he never sent his men into any danger that he himself would not go. On Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 1925, Schneider was riding his bicycle west on Ninth. G. Lohrli was driving north on Market when he swerved to avoid another automobile, and in doing so, he hit Schneider. The chief suffered a broken right leg, a crushed right hand, a rib fracture, and numerous cuts and bruises on his head and face.

[Photo of Fire Chief Joseph Schneider – Courtesy of the Riverside City Fire Department Archives]

Fire Chief Schneider's vast experience, his knowledge, and his hard work were too valuable to the city. In February 1926, City Mayor John T. Jarvis announced that Schneider had been promoted to a new position of fire marshal effective March 1. In his capacity as fire marshal, he was to inspect businesses, filling stations, and other buildings to ensure they complied with fire laws. After fighting fires, he moved on to oversee the city's fire prevention activities. In making the move, he remarked that he remembers in his early years when the volunteer fireman would form the old-fashioned bucket brigade to fight a blaze. He faithfully held this position through the summer of 1933, when poor health forced him to retire. Following a lingering illness, Joseph Schneider, an extraordinary fireman, died on March 5, 1934. Schneider and his wife, Nettie, who died in 1946, are both buried in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Riverside.