ARUNDEL BURNING BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT LIEUTENANT (RETIRED) ROBERT N. MUELLER passed away on Saturday November 9, 2013, after a long illness. He was 87 years old. Mueller had been interested in being a firefighter since he was a student at the Westport Elementary School in Baltimore, MD. Teachers would call him out regularly as he would leave his seat to get a better view of Engine #58 responding to calls from their fire station on Annapolis Road which could be seen from the classrooms windows. In 1943, he left high school to join the Coast Guard where he was assigned to a vessel protecting the merchant ship convoys transporting military supplies across the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. In 1947, Mueller was hired by the Baltimore City Fire Department where he served on Fire Boat #49 (Curtis Bay) and Engine Company #38 (Baltimore Street and Fremont Avenue). Mueller responded with Engine #38 to the 12-alarm George Washington military transport ship and pier fire at Hawkins Point in January 1951. He was a driver-operator pumping off of a hydrant with Engine #38 during the deadly Tru-Fit Clothing Store fire on Baltimore Street in February 1955. On the evening of Saturday, April 6, 1968, he responded with Engine #6 and crew, as a lieutenant, to the very first building fire of the Baltimore Riots in the 400 block of North Gay Street. Mueller was promoted to lieutenant in 1958 and assigned to Engine #32. He would serve in the position for the next 29 years. On the day of his retirement, a ceremony was conducted at the new “Oldtown” Fire Station (Hillen Street), Mueller was presented with the flag that flew over Fort McHenry on that day. The same flag was broken-out and the colors raised at the new Anne Arundel County Fire Department (AACo.FD) Station #18 (Marley Park) on its opening day ceremony last year. The flag that Mueller donated is now on display in a glass case in the station. Mueller was a very experienced and knowledgeable fire officer. He was well respected by firefighters and chief officers. He and his wife Shirley have three sons in which two are members of the AACo.FD, Lieutenant Robert Mueller (Station #18) and Firefighter David Mueller (Station #32). Brian is not in the fire service. Firefighter (Retired) Alvin Lyons, Truck #2, which was located in the same station house with Engine #32, worked with Mueller for a number of years. He said that Mueller’s most favorite saying was, “I don’t give a rats ass.” Lyons would later present a live baby rat to Mueller as a gift at a party. In 1974 during the city police strike/riots, AACo.FD Battalion Chief (Retired) Marty Pardoe, who worked for Mueller as a firefighter with Engine #32 at the time said that the engine was dispatched to a building fire at an intersection in East Baltimore. When they arrived at the reported intersection, each building on all four corners was burning. Mueller, riding up front in the engines cab as the OIC, turned around to Pardoe who was bottling up in the jump seat, said, “Marty, since you are the firefighter, which fire do you want to fight first?” Although I had worked with both Rob and Dave during my career in the AACo.FD, I didn’t meet Robert N. Mueller until 2009-2010. He was very instrumental in assisting me in writing my book about the 1968 riots, “In the Shadows…” He hooked me up with a number of other riot veterans who responded to the fires. Mueller and I spent many hours together and on the phone discussing firefighting and that tumultuous April during 1968. Not only was he a great person to work with, but I could not have written the book without his help. I owe him a tremendous debt. Last night I visited Gonces Funeral Home in Brooklyn to pay my last respects to a veteran firefighter and officer – the place was packed with family, friends, and retired, off-duty and on-duty firefighters. The parking lot was full of cars as well as all of the side streets. Two engines and two tower ladders were parked in the street – a wonderful tribute to a well-liked and a well respected firefighter. He was buried today. Please keep the Mueller family in your prayers and in your thoughts. BCFD Lieutenant (Retired) Robert Mueller, may you rest in peace. Photos courtesy of Michael Defina Jr. BCFD Engine 6 (67 ALF D) and BCFD Engine 32 (66 ALF D)
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:36:34 +0000
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