Six-trumpet Badge

My dear friends:
 

This is a brief story of the six-trumpet insignia - worn by only one man in the Fire Service.

Your letter of the 25th of February was most interesting and much appreciated. I was especially

pleased to learn that you have one of the six-trumpet insignia which had been made for Deputy Chief

Frank Murphy (note - there is no middle initial) when he was given the office title of Chief of Staff & Operations,

which was not a civil service rank in the Uniformed Force, but a designation.

Deputy Chief Murphy was a friend of William O'Dwyer, and when O'Dwyer became Mayor on Jan. 1, 1946

there was a vacancy in the rank of Chief of Department, Chief Patrick Walsh having retired and no

examination having yet been held by the Civil Service Commission to fill the position. Murphy was designated

Acting Chief of Department pending the holding of an examination for the rank of Chief.

Sixteen Deputy Chiefs took the examination and three names were certified by the

Civil Service Commission - No. 1 Harold J. Burke, No. 2 Peter Loftus, and No. 3 John L. Holian.

According to law Harold Burke was appointed, but decided that he didn't want the job and

soon retired on pension. The No. 2 man, Peter Loftus was then appointed, and served in the

rank until his retirement five years later.

As Murphy had not qualified for Chief of Department the O'Dwyer administration gave him the

title of Chief of Staff & Operations in a job which had about the same functions as the present

Chief in Charge of Personnel. Commissioner Quayle, who had given the appointment - or rather,

designation - to Murphy, resigned Nov. 30, 1950 and immediately his successor revoked all orders

pertaining to the title of Chief of Staff. Murphy retired Jan. 4, 1951.

Chief Murphy&s daughter lived in Teaneck and Chief F. A. Murray of Teaneck, became a good

friend of Frank Murphy. When Murphy died his daughter gave the insignia and other mementos

to Chief F. A. Murray. Evidently Chief Murray turned the items over to Chief Lindsay when he (Murray) Retired.