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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, Chief Bob Capone and present Car 2 Robert Favara. |
