Greater Houston Fire Battalion

GHFB members Brandon Jacob and Tom McDonald have seen their frequent contributions to Firehouse magazine appear once again, this time on the cover of the August 2009 edition and in a five-page article inside about the 4-alarm fire on May 21 at the Gallery Furniture warehouse at 6006 North Freeway.

Jacob's spectacular cover shot shows the crew of Ladder 74-B setting up a ladder pipe on the New Haven Street side of the fire about thirty minutes into the incident. A panoramic view of the same scene just minutes before forms the opening spread of the article on Page 90. "The Firehouse people did a wonderful job joining two of my shots together in what looks like a single panoramic photo," said Jacob.

For McDonald, this was his ninth article in the magazine, and his third collaboration with Jacob. Their last work together appeared in the June 2007 Firehouse, again with a cover shot by Jacob. In that photo, HFD firefighters are shown rescuing occupants of a mid-rise atrium office building that was destroyed in an arson fire on March 28 of that year killing three workers.

Jacob is a Houston CPA and firefighter with the Houston VFD. McDonald retired in 2008 as a Senior Captain on Ladder 59 after a 26-year career with the HFD. More of Jacob's photos can be found on his web site at www.fouralarmphotos.com. McDonald says his web site is "under construction" (and he's been saying that for 15 years).

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The members of the Houston Fire Department (HFD) are mourning the loss of two of their own at a tragic Easter morning house fire. Captain James Harlow and Firefighter Damion Hobbs, both assigned to Fire Station 26 in southeast Houston, were killed shortly after midnight on Sunday, April 12, 2009.

A McKinney, Texas firefighter wipes his brow as the procession honoring Capt. James Harlow and Firefighter Damion Hobbs passes. That department brought an engine and crew almost 300 miles to the memorial service on April 16, 2009.









Thousands of firefighters from all across Texas, many parts of the country, and even some from other countries filled the huge sanctuary of Grace Community Church on I-45 South.









Closed-circuit television images on two huge screens inside the church gave everyone in attendance a front-row view of the emotional service. In the TV image, fellow Station 26 firefighters District Chief Albert Escamilla and Senior Captain Mike Davis console Mrs. James Harlow.

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