1978 - 1980

1978 - Firefighter Ron Fowler and Rex Gray man the picket line. 1978 - Firefighters and wives picket City Hall during strike. 1978 - Union rally during strike. 1978 - Union rally behind Station No. 1. 1978 - National Guard mans Station No. 5. 1978 - "Strike is over" - signing back in at Station No. 1. 1979 - Everything done but the clean-up. Station 3-C crew (left to right): Warner, Keplar, Cowel, Bean. Hair codes done away during Chief Hobb's era. Firefighter Friedman comforts child at scene of 10-48. April 1980 - Firefighter P.A. Dextras checks SCBA, and Eric Reed checks engine prior to relieving the last shift.

Negotiations for better wages and fringe benefits became unusually bitter in 1978. The negotiations process had traditionally been a hard fight between union representatives and city officials, however, a complete breakdown in the negotiation process lead to an unprecedented strike by nearly all firefighters below the rank of lieutenant. The strike began in mid-September and lasted for 10 days. When firefighters returned to work, the task of restoring good working relations between all personnel would become one of Chief Hobbs' top priorities.