When Engine 11 moved into their new quarters, the 1912 American LaFrance aerial ladder was moved from the basement of central station to station 9 as a reserve aerial truck.
Two tragedies occurred at this station. On the morning of June 7, 1936, at 3:40 am, a fire alarm was received for the E. L. Bruce Lumber Company. As the firemen leaped from their beds into their boots to slide the pole to the engine room floor, Fireman Joe Hoffman tripped and fell head first to the engine room floor, sustaining a severe head injury. Fireman Hoffman died at 4:45 a.m. at St. Vincent hospital.
On July 24, 1937, Fireman Ralph Unger of Engine Company 4, came into work for Fireman W. A. McHughes a couple of hours to allow McHughes to run some errands. Within minutes an alarm was received for several structures on fire at 6th & Harrington, five blocks east of the station. Upon arrival Engine 9 found 3 houses, a church, and a grocery store on fire. After a long-fought battle. Firemen were cleaning up hot pockets of fire when
Unger came into contact with a downed powerline and was electrocuted at 4:30 in the afternoon.
WORLD WAR II
The small municipal airport, located just south of the station, was taken under control of the United States Government at the beginning of World War II. The airport was renamed Adams Army Air Field and became a large air force base for the duration of the war.