Imagine you’re a Jeopardy! contestant and the clue reads, “Fire departments often consider this faithful companion their mascot.” The answer that immediately comes to mind: “What is a Dalmatian?” An easy win, right?
Historically, this black-and-white spotted “carriage dog” is the breed most readily identified with the fire service. However, not all firehouse mascots are Dalmatians – or even canine.
While it’s true that many fire companies do have dogs as mascots, several other furry and feathered candidates have also been known to fill this role.
Hollywood the parrot
When crews from Frenchtown Rural Fire District in Missoula, Montana, responded to a house fire in February 2021, they had no idea the call would result in a new stationhouse guest – a 30-year-old parrot named Hollywood.
Firefighter Kade Nierman, one of the first on-scene, said he almost knocked over the bird’s cage as he tried to extinguish the flames. When he heard squawking, Nierman said, “I turned and saw it [was] indeed a parrot.”
Lisa Gottula, office manager for the station, has to check with the district’s fire chief first, but she expects Hollywood may be a “mascot over there for a while.” It is not unusual for the fire district to take in animals after a fire, but this is the first time anyone remembers it being a parrot.
If approved, the district’s avian friend may be bunking with them until the homeowners can return to their smoke-damaged home in several months.
Flame the arson cat
Firefighters at Belmont Fire Station in Greenville, S.C., inadvertently adopted their now-famous mascot in 2015, when the cat ventured into their firehouse as a hungry kitten. They began feeding the orange and white tabby and named him Flame. Before long, the happy feline made himself right at home, and although Flame spends most of his time inside, he is known to wander from time to time.
During one of these excursions, Flame ended up stuck in a 12-inch concrete storm drain that runs under the firehouse parking lot. The firefighters began looking for the cat after they hadn’t seen him for at least a day. Hearing cries coming from the storm drain, they leapt into action, removing the drain covers and rescuing the drenched cat.
The crew believes Flame may have been washed into the drain by heavy runoff, so they erected a drain guard to prevent any future incidents.
Flame the arson cat now has his own Instagram account with more than 100,000 followers. He was even featured in the “My Cat from Heaven” segment of the Animal Planet show, “My Cat from Hell,” and was named 2017’s ASPCA Cat of the Year, where he was honored at a New York City awards ceremony.
Pudgie the chicken
While in Chicago for a game in 2017, a semi-pro football team of FDNY firefighters gained a new team mascot – a wayward chicken named Pudgie. The firefighters named their mascot in memory of the team’s founder, Lt. Robert “Pudgie” Walsh, who had recently died.
The team found the malnourished clucker wandering outside an area slaughterhouse. She was most certainly rescued from a much grimmer fate.
More than a mascot, Pudgie was deemed the team’s goodwill ambassador. The firefighters used her popularity to promote their fundraising efforts for two charities that helped the families of deceased firefighters.
Pudgie was taken to a different team member’s firehouse every few days until the team’s next practice or game. The firefighters enjoy spoiling her by letting her walking around the firehouse and giving her baths.
Samson the hot tub bear
When it came time to select an official mascot in 2019, Monrovia (California) Fire and Rescue chose the city’s beloved bear named Samson. The department believed that identifying themselves with Samson, with whom the city had a long history, would help “better engage their community and spread their message of fire safety in an innovative and progressive way.”
Some background: In the 1990s, Monrovia’s residents were visited by a curious 500-lb. California black bear. Samson, as the bear became known, repeatedly lumbered into town to raid the residents’ trash cans or eat avocados, his favorite fruit, off their trees.
Samson gained near-celebrity status in 1994, when local resident Gary Potter videotaped the bear lounging in his hot tub. Potter stated that “he saw the bear as a symbol of what happens when urban life meets wildlife and how the two can coexist.”
Later that year, Samson became ill and was set to be euthanized. Concerned citizens took the matter to the state and obtained a stay of execution from then-Governor Pete Wilson. They soon raised enough money to build the bear his own enclosure – complete with avocado trees and a swimming pool – at the Orange County Zoo.
“Our City has a rich history with Samson the Bear,” Fire Chief Brad Dover said. “However, it is our belief that we have a great opportunity to make something of our own.”
Samson died several years ago, but his legend lives on at the local fire service.
Mickey the Minneapolis fire cat
Adopted by Fire Station 10 in 1936, Mickey the Minneapolis Fire Cat became a fixture at the firehouse after he was abandoned there as a kitten. The frisky feline even had his own No. 10 fire hat and often rode in the chief’s vehicle.
The fire cat’s real claim to fame, however, was his ability to slide down the firehouse’s brass fire pole. When the bells sounded, Mickey would leap to the pole and answer the call alongside the other firefighters. His talent even earned him a role in a newsreel clip.
Unfortunately, two-year-old Mickey died in the line of duty when he leapt for the fire pole and missed. The heartbroken crew of Fire Station 10 wrote Mickey an epitaph and buried him with his tiny firefighter’s hat.
Mrs. Herman the monkey
At the turn of the 20th century, FDNY Engine Company 31 was allowed to keep a dog, or a cat, or singing birds (plural!) as its mascot(s), according to Peggy Gavan’s website on the history of Old New York. Firefighters of that era undoubtedly appreciated the extra company since they often spent a week at a time at the firehouse, with little time off.
Disregarding the department’s guidelines, Engine Company 31 and No. 1 Tower Company, which shared the facility at 87 Lafayette St., adopted not one, but three, animal companions – a cat named Boxer, a dog named Pinky, and a monkey named Mrs. Herman! The crews also owned several horses for pulling the fire carriage, so the fire station was home to quite the menagerie.
Originally from Java, Mrs. Herman became a member of the FDNY in 1904. The monkey was not friendly with Boxer, but she enjoyed spending time with Pinky, often riding on the dog’s back, and with Pluto, one of No. 1 Tower’s horses. She was particularly fond of napping on the horse’s back.
Mrs. Herman loved to watch the firefighters play dominoes in-between calls. She was also known for entertaining the crews and guests by sliding down the fire pole.
Bree the Fire Bunny
A FireRescue1 community member shared that the Spearfish (S.D.) Fire Department has a fire bunny named Bree. The bunny rides in the fire apparatus during parades and joins firefighters for Fire Prevention Week activities.
And Bree may help with recruitment efforts as well, as the girl pictured here is now a volunteer firefighter herself.
Ember the stray
And while we’re spotlighting some of the more unique firehouse mascots, we couldn’t ignore a story of man’s best friend – the most common firehouse mascot!
The Stoney Point Fire Department in Fayetteville, N.C., came by its mascot when a stray dog showed up in the department’s engine bay one day in 2015. Missing most of her fur and covered in fleas, the dog literally stumbled into a corner of the bay and curled up. The next day, surprised she made it through the night, the firefighters at the station took her to the vet for treatment.
Back at the firehouse, Chief Freddy Johnson squashed efforts to find the gentle dog a new home. Instead, as the dog recovered, the crew claimed her as their own and named her Ember.
Although not fond of noise, Ember has adapted to the hustle and bustle of station life. She roams the firehouse to check on the firefighters and naps throughout the building. Ember’s favorite spot, however, appears to be in the chief’s office, where she often curls up on the carpet or offers the chief her paw.
“She’s just a sweet dog,” said Firefighter Dillon Martin, a five-year veteran of the station. “She’ll follow you around. We all just enjoy her.”
Not all mascots are created equal
As these stories demonstrate, firehouse mascots come in many forms, shapes and sizes. They can be found, rescued or adopted – and sometimes they do the choosing!
Their backgrounds and stories may vary, but the underlying theme is the same: Real-life mascots in the firehouse can provide firefighters with light-hearted companionship and much-needed laughter.
In a job that’s both physically and mentally demanding, a mascot at the station can go a long way toward alleviating stress and promoting well-being among the ranks.
Editor’s note: Does your station have a mascot? If so, share your story – and pictures – with us at editor@firerescue1.com.
