The 1940 Vulcan krewe was the first "formal" Vulcan Krewe. Previous years had been last minute plans and Ernie decided to make something of it. As recollected by Bill Sampson in 1972, "So the next year somebody said, "This Vulcan operation ought to
have some kind of a serious system to it. It ought to be more than an after thought at the last minute. Something has to be put together. So Ernie Reiff, who was the president of St. Paul Casualty Company, devised the uniforms to look like devils, the knighting ceremony, the black smooching, the fire engines to run around in... So under Ernie Reiff, the Fire King and his krewe was established and the ceremonies that we now follow today, the fire engines, the knightings, and that good stuff."