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History of the Department from 1938 to 1988
The South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, Company No. 1, was
organized and established on March 7, 1938. C. Vinton
Benjamin, then the Town's First Selectman, was consulted on the
feasibility of establishing a volunteer fire company. A
committee headed by Mr. Benjamin canvassed the Town and raised
$1,000 to purchase equipment.
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On March 7, 1938, a Town meeting
was held where the Town voted to appropriate an additional $4,000
towards the purchase of a fire truck and $3,500 towards the building
of a firehouse and garage. Mr. Benjamin, H.E. Bentley, Harold
M. Newberry, Emil E. Goehring, and Chief George Enes were assigned
to the purchasing committee. After careful consideration the
Committee decided to purchase a Diamond-T Maxim fire truck (pictured
below), which
was delivered on July 31, 1938. |
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During the regular meeting of the newly formed
fire company in June 1938, the company decided to incorporate.
In July, it drew up a charter consisting of 65 firemen. The
following persons were duly elected as the first officers and
commissioners for the Department:
| Chief |
George F. Enes |
| 1st Deputy Chief |
H.F. Bentley |
| 2nd Deputy Chief |
Frank J. Ident |
| Secretary |
Carl A. Magnuson |
| Treasurer |
Emil E. Goehring |
| Commissioners |
C. Vinton Benjamin |
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Harold M. Newberry |
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Norman E. Reynolds |
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Joseph A. Krawski |
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Frank E. House |
On July 8, 1939, the Department held its First
Annual Field Day at Station 31 on Main Street. The event
consisted of a parade of 36 companies comprising of 1,000 men, a
100-yard dash, hose laying contests, and a tug of war.
In 1944, the department purchased a 1931 Model A
truck with a 500-gallon tank. This truck was used to shuttle water
when a water supply was not available. In 1945, the Board of Finance approved $2,600 for
the purchase of a Federal Fire Alarm System. Prior to the
installation of the new horns, members of the Department were
notified of a fire by a chain of telephone calls by members wives.
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In 1948, the Town approved
money for the purchase of the second major piece of
apparatus. Engine 2 (pictured at right) was a 1948 Diamond-T Maxim with a
500 gallon-per-minute pump and a 1,000 gallon tank.
In 1952, the Department converted a 1948
1-ton Chevy pick-up truck into a rescue vehicle.
In 1953, George Enes retired as Chief after 14
years of service. Richard P. Jones was promoted from Deputy Chief to
Chief on November 4, 1953. |
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The Department purchased its next piece of fire
apparatus in 1958. Engine 3 (pictured at left) was a 1958 American LaFrance with a 750
gallon-per-minute pump. It was housed at Company 1 until 1965, when
it moved to the newly constructed Company 3 on Sullivan Avenue.
In 1962, Richard Jones retired as Chief and
Raymond M. Ellison was appointed Chief of the Department.
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In
1962, the Department purchased Engine 4, a
1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper. The Department also purchased four
Plectrons that year. A Plectron (pictured at right) is a specialized VHF/UHF
single-channel, emergency alerting radio receiver used to alert
firefighters of a fire. The four firefighters who had the Plectrons would then call other
firefighters.
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In 1963, the Department celebrated its 25th
anniversary. During that year the Department also started planning for
the construction of a third firehouse, Company 3 on Sullivan Avenue.
In 1964, Chief Raymond Ellison turned the position
of Chief over to Philip E. Crombie, Sr.
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In 1965, the Department purchased a new rescue
truck. The Department was cited nationally as an example of excellent
planning due to its purchase of Rescue 5 (pictured at right), a light-duty rescue and squad vehicle.
In 1966, the Department reduced the minimum
recruitment age from 21 to 18 to attract new members.
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In 1966, the original Engine 2 was modified into
the Department's first ladder truck. The truck served as a temporary
ladder truck while plans were made to purchase a new ladder truck.
The Department also took possession of a new Maxim
1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper. Engine 6 was housed at Company 2 on
Foster Road.
In June 1969, the Department took delivery of an
American LaFrance 80-foot elevating platform. Truck 7 (pictured at
left) was housed at
Company 3, where the Department constructed a training tower to
train firefighters in using the new aerial.
In 1969, the Department formed a firefighting
explorer troop for boys ages 14 to 18. Members of Explorer Post 838
assist firefighters at alarms and have many of the same duties and
responsibilities as adult firefighters. Many members of the Explorer
program later became volunteer firefighters for the Department or
full-time firefighters for paid departments throughout the State. |
The Town built a new public safety dispatch center
in the newly constructed Town Hall on Sullivan Avenue in 1970.
This
new facility marked the end of many years of faithful service by
part-time dispatchers.
In 1971, the Town established the paid position of
full-time Fire Marshal. Then Deputy Chief William Lanning filled the
position and became the Town's first Fire Marshal.
| In 1972, the Town purchased a new pumper to
replace the 1948 Engine 2. New Engine 2 was a 1972 Ward LaFrance
with a 1,250 gallon-per-minute pump and a 1,000 gallon tank.
In 1977, the South Windsor Rotary Club donated a
Hurst Tool to the Department. Also known as the
"Jaws of Life," this hydraulic scissor-like spreader tool
is used to assist in the extrication of passengers from a vehicle
involved in a motor vehicle accident by forcing crushed metal away
from trapped victims. Before receiving the Hurst tool, the
Department relied on manual hand-tools and cutting saws or called
for mutual aid from a surrounding town that had a Hurst tool.
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In 1978, the Town purchased a 1978 American
LaFrance pumper. Engine 8 (pictured at left) had a 1,250 gallon-per-minute pump and
a 1,000 gallon tank and was housed a Company 3. It was the
Department's first (and last) lime green apparatus. In
that year the members of Company 1 moved from the
original firehouse on Ellington Road into the newly built Fire
Headquarters across the street.
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In 1982, the Department retired its original rescue truck and placed into service a
1982 GMC rescue truck custom
built by Emergency One.
| In 1986, the Department retired Truck 7 due to the estimated cost of extensive,
but necessary
repairs. Truck 7 was replaced by Ladder 7, a 1986 Emergency One with
a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump and an 80-foot ladder. Ladder 7
(pictured below) was
housed at Company 1. |
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In 1987, Chief Philip E. Crombie, Sr. retired after 23
years of service. The Board of Fire Commissioners appointed
then Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal William Lanning as the new Chief.
In 1987, the Department purchased an Emergency
One pumper to replace Engine 3. The new Engine 3 is equipped
with a 1,500
gallon-per-minute pump and is housed at Company 3.
In 1988, the Department purchased an Emergency
One pumper to replace Engine 6. The new Engine 6 was equipped
with a 1,500
gallon-per-minute pump and was housed at Company 2.
The Department celebrated its 50th anniversary in
1988.
(More to Come)
(If there are
pictures or Department history you would like to see
posted on this page, please e-mail the webmaster.)
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