An evening meeting at the Knight of the Golden Eagle Hall on June 12, 1901 marked the creation of the first fire company in Pitman.
On March 28, 1902, Pitman’s first fire company began service equipped with 12-foot and 16-foot extension ladders, three axes, a fire hook and around 24 galvanized buckets.
The fire company grew over time, developing into Pitman Fire Patrol, Highland Chemical Engine Company, and Pitman Fire Company No.1, the latter two still serving to this day.
Despite the passage of over 100 years, Pitman Fire Company No.1 has kept the values of excellent service to the Pitman community close since its inception.
The fire company’s first set of equipment was to be stored in Carr’s Livery Stable, and was complete when their first piece of wheeled equipment – a hose cart – was delivered on July 28, 1902.
As the company and technology grew and developed, they had to move through at least three different locations over the years. Their first location was a plot of land at the corner of Pitman Avenue and Simpson Avenue donated by the Camp Meeting Association on August 25, 1902.
The first fire house in Pitman was finished by October 23, 1903. A horse-drawn hook and ladder, chemical and hose cart were purchased around 1909. The company’s first piece of motorized equipment – a Brockway Chemical Engine – was purchased in 1915.
Pitman’s first fire company began service in 1902 equipped with 12-foot and 16-foot extension ladders, three axes, a fire hook and around 24 galvanized buckets. Today the company keeps up with changing times and state requirements.
Due to the growing size of the fire apparatuses, the company had to move locations into its Borough Hall headquarters at the corner of Broadway and West Holly Avenue in 1922. It outgrew that building soon as well, so a new building was constructed next door in 1936.
With the completion of the new fire house, the horse-drawn hook and ladder was replaced with an American LaFrance Type 17 City Service Hook and Ladder, which marks the fleet’s first fully-motorized apparatus.
As its own faction, Pitman Fire Company No.1 has been in service since the 1940s. Its original apparatus was a utility van that was later replaced by a Chevrolet Walk-In Style Rescue Truck. In 1979, the company’s site next to Borough Hall was condemned, leading the Fire Company No.1 to move into a site on the corner of East Holly and Commerce Avenue on June 13, 1981, where it currently resides.
Pitman Fire Company No.1 has seen its fair share of non-equipment-related changes as well. According to the company’s Battalion Chief Andrew Gresko, much has changed with fire service in general since he joined in 2000 from types of calls to state training requirements, which are among the areas that changed the most.
“Fire companies now respond to calls concerning severe car accidents and carbon monoxide incidents (with the recent usage of carbon monoxide detectors),” Gresko said. “Water rescue procedures are also now a part of its repertoire.”
As for state requirements, Gresko stated, “When I started, we really had a handful…and now, we have…40-something different operating guidelines…”
Increased training time is also a recent requirement. The changing of times also comes with concerns of the lack of volunteers in recent years. As an all-volunteer service, the only compensation officers receive are “thank yous.”
Despite this, the chief can confidently state that they uphold the fire company’s traditions of high-quality service “every day,” or “every time they answer calls.”
This was Pitman 08071’s look at the Pitman Fire Company No.1. The borough has two volunteer fire companies, Pitman Fire Company No. 1 and Highland Chemical Engine Company.
The volunteer departments are always looking for volunteers. If interested, please email pitmanfd28@gmail.com for more information.
