The depression years of the thirties were over, and as the decade of the forties started, much in the way of change would occur.

It started as barbershop harmony filled No. 1 Station, with the Fire Department quartet practicing for the Beacon (newspaper) state contest at Lawrence Stadium. The quartet was made up of Hap Watson, Jack McKee, Dutch Daisy and Fred Kinsall. This was a very popular group and their engagements provided a lot of good public relations for the department as well as good entertainment for civic groups later that year.

A new request by the Union for a day off every month met with opposition by taxpayers. Businessmen and "folks" who paid taxes (apparently, firemen didn't) met with special representatives at the City Commission meeting and turned down this request. A number of the City businessmen were worried about the size of their tax bill, and were against the bill which would amount to a staggering $12,000 a year budget increase, and would give the firemen five weeks of vacation a year.

In December of 1940, Chief McCall announced plans to retire on February 1, 1941. He completed fifty-one years of service on the department and was seventy years old. Tribute was paid the "Old Man" and he was publicly thanked for a lifetime of service. He had earned a rest and was given a pension of $145 per month. This was the end of his dream to become a fireman. He had seen the horsedrawn equipment race to a fire as a young man and, vowed he would become a fireman. As it turned out, he had become a "fire horse" himself and had risen to the heights he had dreamed of.

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