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A meeting
was held in the Chester Grange Hall (now a dance studio on Kings
Highway near Wood Rd._ on April 20, 1955 in the matter of the
Organization of a Fire Company in Sugar Loaf. Leonard Baird was
elected to Chair the meeting. The first slate of civil officers of
the Sugar Loaf Engine Company was elected at this organizational
meeting along with a Chaplain. It was also decided by a motion that
the Company would hold regular monthly meetings on the second
Wednesday of each month at 8pm.
In October
of 1955 the meetings were moved to the Old One Room School House
which had been deeded to the Fire District. The members of the
company in concert with representatives of the Chester Fire District
began to set plans for the renovation of the old school house, and
construction of a garage to house a Fire Truck. At these early
meetings 25-30 men assembled to discuss the concerns of the
fledgling fire Company. Early in 1956, the members began attending
fire school.
On March 7,
1956 by motion, Bob Banker was appointed to head the building
committee. The members of the fire company worked over the
following months to construct the truck bay attached to the side of
the Old School. The Fire District allotted $3700.00 for this
project. Frank Fichter projected the electrical wiring would cost
$350 to complete. The actual bills reflect a somewhat lesser
expense however Franks work was never really complete.
On October
17, 1956 James (Bus) Laroe was elected the first Captain of the
Sugar Loaf Engine company. The Fire Truck, a 1956 Ford with a 500
Gallon per minute pump had just been received, and 10 of the members
were selected to be drivers. The company meanwhile had started a
fund to have a well drilled next to the New Firehouse in November of
1956 the company approved reimbursement of $3.05 for coffee and
doughnuts consumed at a fire. Fifty Years later, Captain Schmid
spent $140 on lunch for ten members who attended a Funeral Detail
without anyone’s permission.
The minutes
of the November 14, 1956 meeting show that $62 had been collected
towards the well fund, and Richard Banker was the new Secretary of
the company.
In 1957 the
membership voted to allow 4-H meetings to be held in the firehouse.
Mr. Ford Griffin of the Orange County Fire Police Association
attended a meeting in Sugar Loaf to discuss the organization and
roll of the Fire Police. Fire Police Duties were stated to be:
Keep the
road Open at all times, and keep outsiders out of the Fire area.
Four members of the company were appointed to Fire Police. By the
end of 1959 the Sugar Loaf Engine Company consisted of 39 active and
9 honorary members. By resolution, we were allowed to participate
in the Orange County Fire Mutual Aid Plan.
In 1958
Captain Morrison Baird set a schedule of 4 drills per month.
Members who missed more than 2 drills each month had to pay a fine
of $ .25. In October of 1958 Don Oppmann was elected into
membership. In 1958 the fireman first held a Christmas party for
area children. The tradition of having this party was dropped for
several years, but was then resumed, and continues today.
In 1959 it
was noted in the Company minutes that when following the fire truck
members should not follow too closely, and that the siren should be
sounded more often. In September of 1959 the company requested the
District that tail lights, and signal lights be installed on the
Fire truck. The Commissioners denied this request. By December of
1959, the kitchen in the firehouse had been completed, and a
refrigerator purchased.
At the
November 1963 Monthly Meeting, Mark Laroe reported that the
incorporation papers for the company had been filed, and the cost to
the company would not exceed $100.00. Don Nelson for several months
had been trying to locate a surplus vehicle for use as a utility
vehicle. Eventually, a 1942 Dodge Power Wagon was obtained and
outfitted with a 125 gallon water tank and gasoline powered pump for
fighting brush fires. M912 is still in service today.
In 1980,
the Ford Pumper was replaced with a Hendrickson Cab Forward custom
pumper with a 1250 GPM pump. This pumper served the Company until
2001when the current apparatus was purchased.
In 1988 the
new fire station was completed behind the Old School House, with 3
50’ truck bays and a drive through bay. At the time it was
Cavernous. The Sugar Loaf Truck Bay currently houses engine 911, a KME pumper. M-912, the 1952 Dodge indestructible (almost) TA 922, a
1996 International Commercial Cab, Trailer 1, an 18’ open trailer
with 2 Honda Quads. The quads are employed by the Sugar Loaf
Engine Company Wild-land interface search and Rescue unit and for
brush fires. Engine 911 is also assigned as the response apparatus
for Chester's FAST team. And finally M918, Chester Fire Police Van
is also house in our station. Our once roomy truck floor is
completely full.
The
formation of the Sugar Loaf Engine Company preceded the formation of
The Chester Fire Department by one year. Trout Brook Engine and
Hose rounded out the lot some twenty odd years later. Sugar Loaf
Engine is proud to be the home company of past Department Chiefs
Rich Keveson 1987-1989, David Knapp 1996-1998 and Steve Zoutman
1999-2001 and Chief Bob Capone. |
