A
fire buff is a person with considerable interest (a fan) in
fire fighting and emergency services, while not being an active member of these services. Fire buffs may collect or promote information about the local emergency services, raise money for them, or attend emergencies as bystanders. In the latter case, a fire buff may be considered a nuisance or even a danger to operations by active service members.
[ What is a fire buff? - excerpt from Robert W. Masters: "Pictorial History of Firefighting", 1967] Many fire buffs are organized in associations, a small number of which are integrated into auxiliary services for their local fire stations.
[ Some question role of fire buff, The Boston Globe, June 11, 2005] The term 'fire buff' is said to go back to the beginning of the 20th century, when early fire buffs attended emergencies during winter time wearing fur coats, thus coming to be called "buffalos".
Notable buffs
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Arthur Fiedler, conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra
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Arthur "Smokestack" Hardy, volunteer fire fighter and black fire historian
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Rube Waddell, baseball player
See also
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