The Michael Berry Show 11 years ago today was the deadliest day in the history of the Houston Fire Department

Four firefighters died in a terrible tragic fire on the southwest freeway just

southwest of Hillcroft. On the south side of 59 there was a little rundown

hotel called the Southwest Inn and four firefighters died that day and one

would die later. Captain Matthew Renault E. O. Robert BB, firefighter Robert Garner,

firefighter Ann Sullivan.

And Iron Bill Dowling would hold on for a few more years, further adding to the legacy of the reason

he was called Iron Bill, but he too would succumb to injuries that he received that day.

One of my greatest honors and fondest memories of the RCC

was that after the service, of the firefighters asked if they could come to the RCC and gather.

They didn't want to be around any media, they didn't want to be around any politicians,

they didn't want any speeches.

And I said, absolutely, I said, how about I don't even bring staff I'll

have Uncle Jerry and two or three folks to run the taps and and fetch you beers

you can have whatever you you want and we just gave them the place and they

said would you come and I said I don't have to you can have the place to yourself we'd like

you to so I went for about an hour but I knew they needed some time by

themselves and yeah yeah that the joy of having the RCC was to be able to do things like that, to break the rules, to be able to say,

I didn't have to ask anybody's permission, yeah, here it is.

So a rough day in the history of the Houston Fire Department to be clear.

Let's go back to Jeff who is one of my favorite cars.

Jeff on the black line.

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