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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-10-10, Page 8--THE BURG EXPOSITOR, OCTOBER 10. iiiwu Fire department has 100 plus Are has been ams4or concern of Seaforth residents for over 100 years. So much so that in 1874 the town formed its first fere department, with James Chne as chief. As can be expected, things were difiereat then, and equipment con- sisted of a one -hand engine coin - pony under Wm. Cline, and a hook- and-ladder company under George Madden. The waver supply was from a doves tanks cuniauung 1,728 cubic feet of wata, which were judiciously located tturotlgiont the town. Water was hauled to dee fire site by can. The value of the fire equipment, excluding tanks, SHOWING OFF HISTOr,Y - Seaforth and Area Firefighter Jim Sills, also secretary -treasurer of the area department, shows off a spotlight off a 1928 firetruck, as well as various pull alarm boxes, once in existence in Seaforth. These items are part of the archives above Sills Home Hardware. Robinet photo. 11.111111111W.- B[FIR[ WISE! There are two lifesaving steps you can take to avoid the tragedy of fire. First, you can learn to prevent fires by keeping areas around the home, farm and business uncluttered. Storing chemicals careful- ly. Keeping matches away from children. The second step is to know what to do in case you're caught in a fire. Plan fire drills. Install smoke detectors. Learn escape routes. Because careless fires can cost lives, knowing what to do can save lives. It's that sim- ple...and that smart. Filirir FULL 91111111/191 FARM, AUTO, URBAN & COMMERCIAL COVERAGE AGENTS GRAEME CRAIG 887-9381 BOB McNAUGHTON 527-1571 DON TAYLOR 482-9976 BANTER & MacEWAN INSURANCE BROKER LTD. 524-8376 JOHN WISE INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. 482-3401 'CALL AN AGENT OR THE OFFICE" was VAX/ When Seaforth became a town m 1875, a new brigade was formed, with Fust Officer Thomas Bell; Seed, John Curry', Third, Dennis Maya; Secretary, William Hill; and T easter, Robert Willis. In March of that year new equipment arrived. In May 1878, the original brigade changed its name to the Phoenix Co. No. 1, and from then an the hook-and-ladder company was known as Rescue Co. No. 1. New uniforms, consisting of scarlet jack- ets and blue pants with a red stripe, were also obtained, and were said to be quite handsome. The fire brigade was quite an active one, and in 1888, charter member George A. Sills set a world record of 56.5 seconds in running and coupling a hose. A year later at Mount Clemens, Michigan, the brigade itself won the intonational hose and reel race in a time of 61.5 seconds. But in 1891, despite these records, these champion firemen were forced to stand 'idly by and watch their own Market Street building burn down because their equipment - hoses, hook-and-ladder, and carriages - were all stored inside the burning building. The tragedy seemed only to strengthen the town's resolve to have an indefatiguable means by which to fight fire. Now equipped with a modest water piping system, the town assigned one of its employees the task of seeing to it that m the event of a fire, the boiler was activated, and water pumped from Silver Creek to wherever it was needed. Since that employee held such an awesome respon- sibility in the town, he was also required to live in the same buil- ding that housed the pump - formerly Eagle Cycle, and now the home of Dick Dalton. Water today is pumped from reservoirs monitored by the public utilities commission, and accessed through the many fire hydrants located around town. At the turn of the century the fire department took up residence in the town hall, and it was modified extensively at the rear to house the department?* growing inventory ofs equipment. The town got one of its first fire trucks in 1924. At one time the fire siren was ituated on the flat of the roof of e town hall (by the bell tower), ut had to eventually be removed to pole a few feet off, when it was etermined that vibrations from the iren were proving detrimental to year history in Seaforth ENGINE POWER - Seaforth Firefighters are pictured here with one of the town's earliest fire engines. Submitted photo. "At the turn of the century, the fire department took up residence in the town hall..." the structure of the building. Early fire alarms consisted of a number of pull boxes around town, which were hooked to a dong that would bang out the cry for help. That cry would be joined by a whistle from the Broadfoot and Box (Canadian Manufacturers) factory, once located on Market Street where the senior citizen apartments now stand. A ticker tape type of system came next, before finally the arrival of the telephone. After the telephone came on the scene, fire calls were answered by Bell Canada, and then Harry Jessome, 'rbo also tripped the alarm. The calls are now answered by the local hospital. In the early 1950s, an agreement with the neighboring townships of Tuckersmith, McKillop, Hullett and Hibbert, resulted in a new pumper being purchased to handle fires m the rural areas. In 1970 a second- hand milk truck was purchased to serve as a water tanker to help in fighting rural fires, and in 1975 a new King Seagrave triple com- bination pumper was purchased to replace the 1948 International pumper. In 1978 a "beeper" system was introduced to alert firemen when required, and in conjunction with the fire siren, is activated by an answering service at the local hospital. With bigger and better equipment, the existing hall behind the town hall became overcrowded and plans were set in motion to obtain new facilities. After much deliberation, the farmer McNichol garage on Birch Street was purchased in 1983 and renovated to house the well- equipped department. A second used 1976 tanker was also pur- chased making Seaforth the first department in Huron County to have two tankers available to fight rural fires. Since then the department has also purchased an Equipment Van (December 1984), a new chassis for Tanker #3 (1987), a compressor to fill the Scou air packs or Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (1988-89), and four portable radios which are tied in with the public utilities commission and public works department for disaster purposes. Today's fire department is made up of 24 men - 20 regular members and four auxiliary - and there is always a team of men on call. In the event of a fire the department operates on a tag system, with the first nine men answering the call (in the event of a rural fire), including one left behind to monitor the radio. That system ensures there are al- ways men at home should another fire break out at the same time. For the most part country fires require the presence of one pumper, the equipment van and one tanker. A town fire requires the presence of two pumpers and the van. All Seaforth firemen wear full bunker gear - pants, coat, boots and hat. The present brigade is under the direction of Chief George Garrick, who has served since 1987. Deputy chief is Tom Phillips and captains are Jim Sills and George Reeves. It is interesting to note that there has Turn to page 9A • A fire in a rural area is far more serious than a fire in a town or city, where there is a well -organized fire department and an adequate supply of water for firefighting. Unless water is available for use by the fire department, little can be done to prevent a total loss in the event of fire. Plan ahead to reduce the risks of fire, and provide a supply of water for use in an emergency. A farm pond, constructed in accordance with specifications provided by the Ontario Department of Agriculture, is extremely useful for this purpose, and provides an invaluable addition to the cistern. Farm ponds should be no closer than 100 feet to major buildings, but on the other hand, a distance of several hundred feet would cause delay in fire fighting operations, though time spent in laying hose to the building on fire. Major buildings should be spaced as far apart as possible, with a distance of 150 feet desirable. Make sure that every resident and employee on the farm understands the ire of prompt action in the event of fire. When ire is discovered, call the fire department at once, before making any attempt to fight the blaze. Keep the fire department number posted prominently near the telephone. While aid from neighbors is of great value when fire strikes, do not allow cars or trucks to obstruct the approach of the fire department. Neighbors can help best by bringing extra water from their own supplies, in mills cans, barrels or drums. Follow these rules for fire safety on the farm: • Never permit smoking in barns or near stoves of any other flammable material. • Never refuel an internal combustion engine while it is hot or running. • See that crops are dry before storing, provide adequate ventilation and repair leaky roofs. Check for other spontaneous heating hazards such as manure piles and oily or paint covered rags. • Be sure that all electrical wiring is inspected and approved by the hydro authority. • Burn rubbish only in an incinerator equipped with a spark arrestor, and never in a high wind. Exercise care and keep a pail of water handy. • Do not carry out field buring under any circumstan- ces. • Equip all major buildings with lightning rods, in accordance with the regulations of the Lightning Rods Act. • Be sure that crop dryers have adequate controls to shut off blowers or dampers when temperature gets too high in the heat transfer chamber. Never use "home-made" dryers. • Never use fumigants near an open flame or electrical equipment. • Provide first aid fire fighting equipment. FIRE PREVENTION McKILLOP MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY 91 Main St. S. Seaforth F sstoblishad 1876 !ire Cardiff 5270400 Sec.-Treas., Manager OCTOBER 6 TO 13 "Never Try To Fight A Fire Alone " SMOKE DETECTOR For more information on Fire Safety call the following... ALWAYS KEEP A FRESH BATTERY CHIEF George Garrick 527-0873 DEP. CHIEF CAPTAIN Tom Phillips Jim Sills 522-0921 527-1248 CAPTAIN George Reeves 527-1995 Pp FIR....S N;,MBER c(iY 527-1 1 00 PRo, Seaforth & Area Fire Dept. yot Your farm and fire Do What You Can To Help PREVENT FIRE