History and Photographs Compliments of the Fleetwood Fire Company
Brief History of the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company No. 1
Firefighting in the early history of our borough was mainly without much organization and fires were usually fought by bucket brigades. For a number of years A. P. Merkel served as chief in the event that a fire broke out and they used a Neversink Hand Fire Engine purchased for $100 in 1878. This procedure was followed until the citizens had an organized volunteer fire-fighting group. Click to Read More
Organization
Full organization of the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 was affected August 12, 1914, as follows: President C. A. Miller ; Vice pres. Charles Madeira: Recording Sec, Samuel H. Rothermel; Financial Sec., Calvin H. Adam; Treasurer, Warren G. Hartman; Trustees, A. P. Merkel – one year, H. C. Ulrich – two years, N.J. Kutz – Three years; chief Charles I. Kieffer; foreman, Jonas Wahl; Assistant, H.J. Herbin; Hoseman, James W. Stump and Fred Stout; Engineers, Walter M. Bausher, Earl Moatz. Frank Slavin, Ruel Merkel, Robert Schlegel, Paul Stahler, Morris Folk, Oscar O. Dries, Elmer Schaffer, John Herring, Leon Fegley and William Seaman. The president named the following committees: Membership, J. W. Stump, D. M. Herbein, Norman Ringler and Earl Moatz. Charter: N.J. Kutz, A. P. Merkel, H. C. Ulrich. Constitution and by – laws: Charles I. Kieffer, S. Y. Weidenhammer and Samuel H. Rothermel. Click to Read More
Fire Company Building Erected
The company purchased a lot on the corner of Washington and Franklin Streets in the Borough of Fleetwood and plans were made to erect a firemen’s headquarters, which was to include a spacious lobby and auditorium, and meeting rooms for the Borough Council meetings. The plans were made reality in 1928, when a building was erected at a cost of $65,000. The auditorium and the lobby have been the meeting places for many civic groups since that time. In 1925, a Seagrave Truck was bought at a cost of $12,500.00 and housing ceremonies were held at that time. Click to Read More
Truck Crew
A truck crew was organized in 1937, which was known as the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company Truck Crew. The President was LeRoy Oswald: Secretary, William Merkel. Other officers were elected at a later date. This crew was the firefighting force in Fleetwood.
In July 1974, twenty-five new home monitors were purchased at a cost of $3,947. Then in August of 1975, with the donation of $9,270, the first pagers for the company were purchased, the money being donated by the Fleetwood Council Community Organization (F.C.C.O). Currently, each fire and EMS person is issued a fire and/or EMS pager. Click to Read More
Equipment
The Fleetwood Vol. Fire Co. Truck Crew takes great pride in the equipment and strives to maintain state-of-the art equipment at all times. This equipment includes a thermal imaging camera, the “Jaws-of-Life” Hurst rescue equipment, and the newest firefighting gear and air packs with integrated personal safety devices. The current fleet consists of: Click to Read More
History of the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company Ambulance
In December, 1951, then Fire Chief Lester “Legger” Moyer, seeing the need for a community ambulance service, presented a proposal to the Fleetwood Fire Company to raise money for a ambulance. The proposal was approved, hence the birth of the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company Ambulance. By March, 1952, they had received $956.00 in donations. A letter to inform the community of the fund drive to purchase an ambulance was sent in April. The truck crew held a benefit movie in May to help raise funds. In June, Mr. Elmer Rhodes turned his Gulf Service Station over to the truck crew for a day, with the proceeds to be used for the purchase of an ambulance. By July almost $5,000 had been raised. They chose a Buick Flexible Ambulance at a cost of $7,600.00. It was delivered in August and dedicated by rev. J. Paul Kehm on August 23, 1952. Click to Read More