Fire Boxes of Oakland
Early California Electric Box 1873
Early California Electric Box 1873
Early California Electric Box 1873
This was the first mention of Fireboxes in Oakland. The boxes were originally purchased from California Electric in San Francisco.
Gamewell 1891
Early California Electric Box 1873
Early California Electric Box 1873
The first Gamewell boxes were purchased in 1891. The original boxes had no key guards and the key was only available from local businesses
Tooker Box 1899
Early California Electric Box 1873
Oakland Dimond Top Box 1907
In 1899 the City Council ordered the Tooker style box for the Downtown area. this allowed for keyless access to turn in an alarm
Oakland Dimond Top Box 1907
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
Oakland Dimond Top Box 1907
After the 1906 Earthquake, Oakland started casting its own Fire and Police Boxes, with Keyguards.
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
In late 1922, Gamewell sold retrofit quick action doors for the Oakland boxes. The New cast Iron Oakland Electrical box were Installed with these doors but were modified by Oakland , which ground off the words Gamewell New York
1922 Retrofit door on 1907 Oakland Dimond Top
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
1922 retrofit door on 1922 Cast Iron Oakland Shell
After a legal battle with Gamewell about grinding off their name, new retrofit doors from Newton Mass. were purchased. while Gamewell won the original battle, Oakland decided to replace all Gamewell boxes, Firehouse and Central office equipment and begin manufacturing their own
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
Oakland made an effort to only change Gamewell for Gamewell after 1924 and even replaced the Tooker boxes with the Gamewell retrofits
1931 Oakland Aluminum on 1907 Oakland
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
1931 Started the mass change to the Aluminum boxes and replacement of damaged doors with the new doors
1931 Oakland Aluminum Box
1924 Retrofit door on Gamewell slant fist
1931 Oakland Aluminum Box
The 1931 Boxes were completely Oakland including the internal box and movement the only thing not made by Oakland was the lock and decals. no gamewell parts were contained in these boxes
1960 Port of Oakland Box
1960 Port of Oakland Box
1931 Oakland Aluminum Box
With the expansion of the Oakland Airport, the airport firebox doors were installed and rang into Airport operations
Early Auxillary Boxes
1960 Port of Oakland Box
Early Auxillary Boxes
Early Auxillary boxes were used in Oakland for years and were normally purchased from California Electric in SF. These units later became incompatable with modern fire protection equipment in City and school buildings and were later replaced with Gamewell
Gamewell Auxillaries
1960 Port of Oakland Box
Early Auxillary Boxes
Oakland started to purchase Gamewell Auxiliary Boxes in the late 50's The purchases change a practice started in 1922 to purchase anything but Gamewell. Boxes that had Red Porcelain signified it replaced a street box, standard aluminum plates were normally installed.