Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District #1 – 75th Anniversary 1940-2015

Description

The Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District #1 is commemorating 75 years as a fire protection district. To celebrate this milestone they have compiled a pictorial history book.

This book contains the Department’s historical time lines and pays tribute to its members both past and present. It also includes historic and current photos of people, places, and things that are hallmarks of the strength, courage, and innovation of the Department. This edition features personnel photos, action photos, individual firefighter/paramedic stories, memories and quotes.

The large 9” x 12” coffee table style edition has a deluxe hardbound cover and 104 pages with 64 full-color pages. High-gloss, double-coated paper is used for superior photo reproduction. The cost of this historic limited edition is only $49.95 for the standard edition with a hardbound color cover.

Here is just a taste of what will be in the book:

1940’s – Newly formed Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District began with a 2-bay garage and land donated as Fire Station #1. The first commercial fire truck , a 500 gallon grass rig pumper, was purchased for $10,000 by selling bonds. Grass fires were so common that one day firefighters ran 35 calls. In the summer you could set your watch by the noon train because it would set off grass fires as it went through and the fire siren would sound to alert the firefighters.

1950’s – Firefighters raised money to purchase a new pumper and a tanker.

1960s – The emergency phone was still a party line answered by firefighters or their families. The fire siren would be set off to notify the men. Firefighters would find something like Brown’s Barn fire written on the chalkboard when they got to the station to know where to go.

1970’s – Saw a second fire station built at the south end of the fire district. In 1979 the first volunteer fire department Paramedic in the area and start of the EMS program for Harlem-Roscoe.

1980s – Major leaps in gear safety such as use of the Nomex hoods and the first two trauma units (ambulances) were purchased as well as a larger rescue squad.

1990’s – Saw a third station built on the north end of the fire district and Station One moved to a bigger station. Dispatching would begin to move from seven remote phones to the Dispatch Center at the new Station One.

2000’s –The era of the big trucks had arrived – a 100’ bucket aerial and 2- 75’ Quints, Heavy-Duty Rescue truck and Technical Rescue truck.

2010s – The bar set higher for advanced trainings and major remodel of Station One.

By 2012, the department had 30 pieces of apparatus.