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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Buffalo Soldiers in Utah finally getting their due
'There's a mountain of history about these guys that had never been really tapped into, and we realized it was much broader than we thought — kind of like an iceberg.' That's Ian Wright talking. Ian's the manager of Utah Cultural Site Stewardship, a state program tasked with 'protecting and safeguarding Utah's archaeological and cultural heritage.' In simpler terms, they're in charge of preserving Utah's history. The office has been operational for a little over four years, during which time Ian and his second-in-command, Lexi Little, have discovered an interesting pattern that repeats itself: When they start researching one bit of history, they often discover another bit that's even more interesting. Such is the case with the Buffalo Soldiers — two U.S. Army all-African American regiments that were stationed in Utah between 1878 and 1901. Thanks to Utah Cultural Site Stewardship, these men who played an important role in Utah history are getting a chance to take a bow more than a century later. For our interview with Ian and Lexi, we're sitting in the Fort Douglas Military Museum on the University of Utah campus. Today, the museum's buildings house an impressive array of military artifacts and information dating from the current day all the way back to 1862, when Fort Douglas was first created as a federal military garrison. But back in the late 1800s, these were the barracks where the Buffalo Soldiers lived. The story of the Buffalo Soldiers — so nicknamed by Native Americans because their coarse hair reminded them of a buffalo's — is one of those cringe-worthy parts of American history, hearkening back to a time when even the Union triumph in the Civil War failed to put the brakes on racial bigotry. In 1866, a year after the end of the war, the federal government decreed that the U.S. Army would be segregated (and would remain so for nearly 100 years), designating that four regiments (out of 60) were to be composed of all-Black troops. Two of these regiments, the 9th Cavalry and the 24th Infantry, would be posted to Utah between 1878 and 1901, sent to keep the peace, guard the mail, protect the telegraph lines and keep the Native Americans in check. The 9th Cavalry helped establish Fort Duchesne in Uintah County, while the 24th Infantry was billeted, as mentioned above, in the barracks at Fort Douglas on the east side of Salt Lake City. The ironies and incongruities of this arrangement were not a few: Black troops, already marginalized, sent to help protect and live in peace in a place populated primarily by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a people who A) had their own issues about being marginalized after being forced out of their homes in Illinois without much federal support and being invaded by the U.S. Army not long after they fled to Utah, and B) whose church restricted some of its membership rights from Black people. Not to mention the fact that Fort Douglas, home of the 24th, was named after Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln's debate rival who had been a slave owner himself. But here's the part that brings a light to the eyes of Ian Wright and Lexi Little as they talk about the Buffalo Soldiers era in Utah history: The interaction seems to have worked out just fine. There were no race riots, no protests of any historical consequence. The role the Buffalo Soldiers played was, by all accounts, a positive one. The 9th Cavalry not only helped calm tensions with the Ute Tribe in northeastern Utah, but also (although this hasn't been entirely substantiated) helped guard the train depot in Price from a rumored heist by Butch Cassidy and the Robbers Roost gang. The 24th Infantry gained fame by answering the government's call to briefly leave Fort Douglas and fight in the Spanish-American War in Cuba in 1898 — charging up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. When the troops returned to Salt Lake City, they marched up Main Street in a parade in their honor. 'Not a lot of people know the Buffalo Soldiers were here,' says Ian, 'but they were everywhere. Every time we did research, they popped up.' Adds Lexi, 'It is a vital story that needs to be told.' The Utah Cultural Site Stewardship program has established a Heritage Trail that maps all the areas in Utah where the Buffalo Soldiers made their mark (it's 475 miles in length), and a website — — that details the history in great depth. There is also an audiobook available at narrated by former KSL Radio talk show host Doug Wright (Ian's dad). In short, if any of those Buffalo Soldiers were still around, they would no doubt be gobsmacked by all the attention. 'Our job is to safeguard all 13,000 years of Utah history,' says Ian. 'This was a gap, and we filled it.'
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
WWII veteran in Lodi wants 100,000 letters for his 100th birthday
LODI — Turning the big 100, a World War II veteran in the California city of Lodi is celebrating his birthday with one wish. Frank S. Wright wants 100,000 birthday cards from people around the country to celebrate this momentous day. Wright was a corporal with the United States Marine Corps Raider Regiment in WWII. He fought in Iwo Jima and helped liberate the island of Guam. This 4th Marine Raider now lives at Solstice Senior Living in Lodi and will soon turn 100. "I've received two Purple Hearts: one in Guam and one on Iwo Jima," said Wright. Age isn't stopping Wright from hitting the dance floor — or losing a single bit of humor. "I love to dance... I have supposedly about 50 women who want to dance with me," he said jokingly. On top of the dance moves for his big day, Wright is hoping to read some sweet and kind words in the form of birthday cards. "I'd like to have that if I could," he said. "I have over 50 that came in from one school." So far, he's up to almost 200 just one week out, but he's already covering a lot of ground. "I must have 10 or 12 cards that came from Minnesota. I've never been to Minnesota," he said. These letters are already hitting home for the WWII veteran. "[One of the cards] had a story on it that mimicked some stuff that my mother used to say. She would say, 'Just a minute, you can't go anywhere without changing your panties,' " said Wright. "I said, 'What on earth for?' [She said,] 'What if you get hit by a car? You don't want to be caught without a clean pair of panties.' That was our saying. That saying was on one of those cards, and so that brought back memories." Although Wright is a ways away from his goal of 100,000 cards, it doesn't stop him from hoping for a big turnout, especially in Lodi for his centennial celebration this coming Saturday. Anyone interested can send a postcard or letter to: Frank S. Wright, Stockton Marine Corps Club, PO Box 691045, Stockton, CA 95269. "I open up every card that comes in and every letter that I get," said Wright. "That, I appreciate."
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Safeguarding Cities: The Evolution of Fire Suppression Systems in New York City and South Florida
From Manhattan to South Florida, every restaurant kitchen, museum gallery and server room has a fire suppression system designed to save lives . BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2025 / / -- The modern skyline may dazzle, but beneath the glass and steel, cutting-edge fire suppression systems stand guard. From New York's earliest fire tragedies to today's ultra-modern data centers, advances in suppression technology and strict regulations have saved lives and property. In the densely packed streets of Manhattan and the sprawling urban centers of South Florida, every restaurant kitchen, museum gallery and server room is linked to a network of pipes, nozzles, detectors and agents designed to snuff out flames instantly. These fire suppression companies and their certified technicians work quietly behind the scenes to give building owners and occupants peace of mind. As one veteran installer from Done Right Hood and Fire Safety puts it, 'When that kitchen goes up, you want the system to be spot-on – it's a lifesaver.' New York City's fire safety rules were born of hard experience. The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire – 146 lives lost – galvanized reforms. By October 1911 the Sullivan–Hoey Fire Prevention Law was enacted, requiring factory owners to install sprinkler systems and establishing the NYC Fire Prevention Bureau. In the decades that followed, fatal fires in new high-rises (like the 1912 Equitable Building fire) spurred stricter codes: by the 1930s, even 'fireproof' skyscrapers were built with heavy steel cores and obligatory emergency systems. After dramatic fires in the 1960s and '70s (One New York Plaza, 919 Third Ave., etc.), NYC passed Local Law 5 (1970), forcing ultratall buildings to have sprinkler systems or smoke-pressurized stairways. As retired fire chief Vincent Dunn noted, in a high-rise 'water needs to get up there with them… the higher a building is, the more vulnerable it is to… the stack effect, in which the structure becomes a chimney, drawing… smoke up to the top floors'. In other words, urban density and soaring heights made automatic suppression – sprinklers, standpipes, gas systems – absolutely essential. South Florida's fire-safety story is similar in spirit if not exact details. Rapid growth in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and beyond brought a mix of wood-frame homes, high-rise condos and tourist hotels. Florida statutes and local fire codes soon mirrored national standards: a state Fire Prevention Code (based on NFPA standards) is adopted every three years, with county or city amendments. To work on suppression systems here, technicians must hold a state-issued 'Certified Fire Protection Contractor' license. For example, Florida law requires that any contractor installing or servicing fire protection systems pass NFPA-based exams and register with the State Fire Marshal. In practice, a local building permit often mandates that only state-certified fire contractors can bid on fire-suppression work. (In Miami–Dade, Broward and elsewhere, permits for sprinklers, standpipes or hood systems are issued only to licensed firms.) These regulations ensure that every system, from a simple extinguisher to a complex gaseous system, is properly designed and maintained by qualified pros. Today's fire suppression systems come in many flavors, matched to the hazard. The most familiar is the automatic sprinkler: water-filled pipes with heat-sensitive heads that unleash a deluge when a flame is detected. Variations include wet-pipe (pressurized with water), dry-pipe (air pressurized until a spray head opens), and deluge systems (all heads open at once for rapid floods). In chemical-hazard areas or special-occupancies, fixed foam systems inject foam concentrate into water streams to smother flammable-liquid fires. For grease fires in restaurant kitchens, wet-chemical systems (like Ansul's R-102) spray a caustic liquid that cools and chemically bonds with hot oils, creating a vapor barrier. Exhaust hoods over grills and fryers typically hide fusible links and nozzles: when a fire heats the hood, the system triggers automatically to blankett flames. In data centers, museums and other sensitive sites, water is often a problem in itself. Here clean-agent and inert-gas systems dominate. For example, FM-200™ (HFC-227ea) or Novec 1230® are colorless gases stored in cylinders. On fire detection, they flood the space and disrupt combustion without water or residue. (One industry website notes that FM-200 'is a clean agent fire suppressant… safe in occupied spaces, and do[es] not leave a residue' after use.) Similarly, mixtures of nitrogen and argon (branded as Inergen®) displace enough oxygen to halt fire but remain breathable for people. Carbon dioxide systems are older tech, now mainly used in unoccupied rooms (server rooms or electrical vaults) because CO₂ can asphyxiate. Water mist is another innovation: ultrafine droplets sprayed at high velocity remove heat with far less water, minimizing damage in places like libraries or art galleries. 'I been installin' these systems for more years than I can count,' says Mike, a technician at Done Right Hood and Fire Safety. 'Listen, you walk into a restaurant kitchen in this town, one spark and it all goes up. Those Ansul hood systems – they kick in so fast it's like havin' 10 firefighters on the spot. Keep everybody safe, no mess. That's why we do it right.' No matter the agent, modern systems are controlled by sensitive detectors (smoke, flame, heat or gas detectors) and tied into building alarms. Microprocessors monitor pressure and valves constantly, and regular inspections (by licensed fire companies) make sure that a clogged nozzle or depleted cylinder never leaves a hazard unchecked. In short, fire suppression has evolved from buckets and pumps to intelligent, code-mandated networks – and the payoff is huge in densely populated a world run on data, even a small fire can spell disaster. Data centers – sprawling rooms of servers, climate control, and cabling – need 24/7 protection. Sprinklers can be used here, but more often clean agents are chosen. FM-200, Novec and inert gases extinguish flame without shorting electronics or leaving cleanup behind. These systems are 'fast and effective,' reaching extinguishing concentration in seconds, and they're safe for people and equipment. (As one manufacturer touts, after an FM-200 discharge 'no residue is left behind… safe for equipment, electronics, and machinery'.) When a smoke detector senses trouble, the fire suppression system floods the room and instantly cuts power to server racks. Urban data centers are built to code: NFPA 75 (or local fire code) typically requires pre-engineered suppression for computer rooms. In New York City, a master-pipe contractor license is still needed to install the piping, and the owner's rep must hold an FDNY Certificate of Fitness for special hazards. In Miami or West Palm Beach, installers need the Florida Certified Fire Protection Contractor certificate plus any county licenses. The bottom line is that only qualified fire suppression companies can touch data center safeguards – an important check in cities where data is as critical as electricity. Veteran techs understand the gravity. Joey from Done Right Hood and Fire Safety, who installs systems in high-tech facilities, explains with a grin: 'I tell ya, out in these server rooms we're like medics. A datacenter's worth millions and can't afford downtime. We put in FM-200 or Inergen, and the moment a firebreather sneaks in, boom – the room fills with gas and chokes it out. No water, no damage. Ya gotta get it right.' His accent is thick, but his meaning is clear: modern agents protect the kit and keep the business running. Artifacts and artworks are often irreplaceable. For museums, an errant sprinkler droplet can ruin centuries of history almost as surely as a flame can. Museums in NYC and Miami invest in special fire control: many use pre-action sprinkler systems (requiring two triggers before water flows) or switch to total-flooding gas or fine-water-mist systems. In fact, the National Park Service advises that 'sprinklers and/or fire hoses extinguish the fire, but may cause significant damage to collections… house objects in closed cabinets and raise cabinets 4–6 inches off the floor' to mitigate water harm. In practice, that often means clean agents (FM-200, Inergen, etc.) or water mist (such as HI-FOG®) that meet museum standards. Local regulations catch up, too. A century after a blaze destroyed the South Florida Museum in St. Augustine (1919) and the tragic loss of Brazil's National Museum spurred code changes worldwide, both states now require historic and high-occupancy cultural sites to have automatic fire systems per NFPA and state law. For instance, Florida's fire code amendment might demand early-detection smoke control or flame-suppression gas systems in archive vaults. In NYC, the Landmarks Preservation Commission often conditions permits on state-of-the-art fire protection. Leading suppression manufacturers cater to this niche: water-mist specialists and inert-gas makers tout installations at places like the New York Public Library or Miami's art museums, giving curators confidence. No place burns faster than a busy commercial kitchen. Here, fire suppression companies rely on proven wet-chemical hood systems. Above every grill and fryer, a network of stainless-steel pipes and nozzles is waiting. When a grease fire flares, heat melts a fusible link and the Ansul (or similar) system dumps a foamy liquid that saponifies hot oil – essentially turning it into safe soap and water. Dry chemical 'K-class' cylinders are also used for deep-fryers. Meanwhile, overhead ductwork carries fire straight to the sprinklers in the ceiling, giving firefighters time to arrive. Service and maintenance are strictly regulated. In NYC, the owner or principal of every kitchen suppression service company must hold FDNY Certificate of Fitness S-71 (for wet-chemical systems). The business itself must have a Dept. of Buildings Master Fire Suppression Contractor license (Type C or A) to legally install or modify the systems. In Florida, the technician must be a state-certified sprinkler contractor (if altering hood pipes) or have a kitchen-suppression endorsement. These requirements ensure that everyone from the local deli to a five-star restaurant uses fully inspected systems. As Mike at Done Right Hood notes with a chuckle, 'You wouldn't cook your steak on a hotplate without supervision, right? Same goes for fire. When I'm on a job in Manhattan or Miami, I double-check every nozzle. I tell ya, these chefs make magic with oil – but one spark, and our systems better be on point to save the day.' His pride in that work shows why kitchen fires kill far fewer people now than they did decades ago. In both New York City and Florida, legal compliance is a gatekeeper for safety. In NYC, as noted, the combination of FDNY Certificates of Fitness and DOB Master Licenses creates a high bar. For example, any firm doing fire-piping work must be a licensed Master Fire Suppression Piping Contractor under NYC Building Code §28-401.3, and key personnel must carry COFs. Local Code also requires periodic inspections – FDNY inspectors or licensed inspectors (per NFPA 25) verify every sprinkler and system annually. Florida's oversight is statewide: Chapter 633 of the Florida Statutes spells out credentials. An aspiring Fire Protection Contractor must apply for a certificate, proving experience or education, and pass an NFPA-based exam. Once certified, the contractor can install and service systems (sprinklers, extinguishers, alarms) up to certain classes. Individual technicians must often have local licenses (e.g. Miami-Dade certification for underground fire mains). When a Florida county or city issues a fire-protection permit, it typically checks that the applicant is on the state certified list. This layered system – national standards (NFPA), state statutes and local enforcement – helps maintain uniform quality. Behind every sprinkler head or suppression cylinder is often a major manufacturer whose brand is trusted in the ecosystem. Ansul (now part of Tyco SimplexGrinnell) is a century-old name in fire suppression: it began in 1915 making specialty chemicals and grew into 'one of the largest fire protection companies in the world,' producing kitchen systems and special hazard agents Kidde (founded 1917) is famous for household and industrial detectors and extinguishers; it pioneered the first integrated smoke-detection/CO₂-suppression system, and today is North America's #1 home fire safety brand. Amerex (since 1971) boasts that it has become 'the world's leading… manufacturer of hand portable and wheeled fire extinguishers', and it also offers vehicle and industrial suppression gear. In short, Ansul, Kidde, Amerex and others supply the tried-and-true hardware – from cylinders to nozzles – that certified installers then assemble. The manufacturers also train and support fire suppression companies, ensuring that down-to-earth techs like Joey and Mike have reliable parts and agent formulations. The synergy is clear: engineers design the suppression laws and systems, big companies build the equipment, city and state agencies enforce the rules, and trained crews put it all together. The result is a tightly woven safety net. In South Florida condos or Manhattan lofts, in data towers or back-of-house kitchens, this network of regulations, technology and expertise means fire hazards are addressed well before an ember can grow. As one Miami museum conservator summarized it, 'We invest in these systems not because we expect disaster, but because we refuse to lose irreplaceable treasures or lives. When everyone does their part – from the guy in the back room maintaining the cylinders to the system designer calculating flows – we sleep easier at night.' Gabriel Jean Done Right Hood & Fire Safety +1 212-660-3232 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
