Date: Saturday, September 20th, 2003
Time: Our inquiry into paranormal activity at Fireman's hall lasted from 8:30pm to 11:30pm, approximately.
Location: Fireman’s Hall Museum, 147 N. 2nd St., Phila., PA 19106.
Equipment: Raynger ST2 Infrared Non-Contact Thermometer, ELF-Zone Electromagnetic Field Detector, Panasonic IC Digital Recorder, Canon Snappy AF 35mm Camera, Kodak Gold Max 400 Speed Color Print Film, Cyclops Night Owl Infrared Night Vision Scope, Sony NightShot Video Camera.
Weather: Temperature outside was in the low 70s. Inside temperatures, confirmed by several thermal scanners, ranged between 68 and 71 degrees F.. Air conditioner blowers in the ceiling caused occasional fluctuations and were notably cooler than ambient room temperatures. Air vents were documented at approximately 60 degrees F.
History: Please visit http://www.ushistory.org/tour/tour_fireman.htm or http://www.angelfire.com/pa4/firemanshall/ for more information about Fireman's Hall.
Type of Location: Actual Firehouse now being used as a museum.
Number of Occupants: Although once used as a residence for firefighters, there are no persons currently living at this location.
Pets: None
Those Present: Lew G., Tonya K., and Andy K. Although our two hosts were on the premises, they did not accompany us during the investigation.
Report: Our investigation involved mainly the second and third floors of the museum. The first floor posed significant problems that hampered the possibility of investigating that area. Although the lights on the first floor may have been turned off, the traffic outside the large windows would have prevented proper use of night vision, audio recordings and flash photography.
Our investigation began on the second floor of the property. Simultaneously, our NightShot video cameras were strategically placed to monitor the third floor. On the second floor, I did note several reflective surfaces that could cause reflective artifacts in photos and night vision. Several fire suits being displayed had the expected reflective fabrics sewn onto the uniform. Glass display counters were about the area. A fireman's shield/banner brightly illuminated on the door of the fire/rescue boat's helm with flash and NV. Also, many picture frames on the walls displaying many things were protected with glass.
Having avoided the above mentioned objects as best as one could, I still did not find any readings of significance with my equipment. Electromagnetic fields were all within normal limits. Thermal scans revealed nothing other than a few cool air vents (approx 60 degrees F) and hot "Exit" signs (approx 80 degrees F at a 6' distance). At one point, Andy had asked me to help him relocate a temperature difference he had detected with his thermal scanner. My assumption was that he may have gotten a brief drop in temperature, although he never indicated this to me. Regardless, neither of us detected any temperature fluctuations at that point. Otherwise, I have no anomalies to report. A few audio recordings were conducted while on this floor. Each of them are pending review.
Next we relocated our NightShot video cameras to the second floor and began to investigate the third floor. The air conditioning unit was very loud on this floor in particular. Audio recordings were deemed impossible. Electromagnetic scans yielded nothing out of the ordinary. Thermal scans revealed nothing other than a few select air vents. No anomalies were seen through night vision.
During the latter part of our third floor visit, I did note what I thought to be the faint smell of freshly cooked eggs. This experience happened at the beginning of a short hallway that was lined with boxes and located next to the staircase. I dismissed my olfactory senses due to the fact that I was stricken with a minor cold at that time. However, it should be noted that it was only that one time that I had an experience related to sense of smell. Equipment detected nothing unusual during this moment. Otherwise, there is nothing further to report of the third floor and thus concludes my report.
Impression: Although I was unable to confirm any type of unexplainable phenomena at Fireman's Hall, this does not mean they do not have activity there from time to time. Simply, the location of the building does not permit the ideal environment for a paranormal investigation. Unfortunately, at no point were we able to effectively use all of our detection equipment. I sincerely hope that those who have had experiences at Fireman's Hall will gladly share them. I would be more than happy to post them to our website.
Special Thanks: A special thank you goes to our hosts and the many people who have dedicated their time to Fireman's Hall. Thanks to all Firefighters everywhere for taking the inherent risks to save and protect lives. Thanks to those who comprised the 9/11 memorial, honoring the Firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice at the World Trade Center. And, thanks to everyone who has helped keep Fireman's Hall alive and well.
Lew Gerew
President & Cofounder
PGHA
9/22/03