Dennis T. Sullivan (1852 - 1906) was the Chief of the

San Francisco Fire Department The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) provides firefighting, hazardous materials response services, technical rescue services and emergency medical response services to the City and County of San Francisco, California. History Volunteer Depa ...

in 1906. He was mortally wounded during the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...

, when a neighboring building collapsed onto the fire station that housed the Chief's official apartment. Sullivan was a

Blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

when he joined the Fire Department at 25 years old. He was appointed the Department's Chief upon the death in office of his predecessor, David S. Scannell. In 1903 Sullivan proposed an emergency water supply system for the fire department to use water from one or more reservoirs to be constructed on the city's high peaks. Construction began in 1909, three years after the quake. Called the San Francisco Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS), it remains the backbone of the city's emergency water supply. Its construction was completed in 1913. Sullivan was mortally injured by the 1906 earthquake when an adjacent building collapsed onto his firehouse residence. His wife Margaret survived her injuries.

Legacy

In 1909 the city launched the

fireboat A fireboat or fire-float is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipmen ...

''Dennis T. Sullivan''. When San Francisco built a new residence for its Fire Chiefs it was named after Sullivan. There is also an Irish pub in north beach area in San Francisco that is named Chief Sullivan's in honor of him. The Memorial Home of Fire Chief Dennis T. Sullivan, built in 1922, stands at 870 Bush Street.San Francisco Landmark #42, Dennis T. Sullivan Memorial Fire Chief's Home, 870 Bush Street Between Mason and Taylor, Built 1922
– NoeHill.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Dennis T. People from San Francisco 1906 San Francisco earthquake 1852 births 1906 deaths