Montesano Fire Department History and Pictures
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By oral tradition the Montesano Fire Department began in 1886 with a loose formation of a fire brigade. These were men of the community who understood the need for neighbors banding together to combat fires that were common during that period. These men worked to establish a formal Fire Department for the City.
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The Montesano Fire Department was officially established in 1892 as a Fire and Hose company (Ordinance 1810), consisting of forty men volunteering for service. The Fire Chief was elected by the men of the company, as was common at the turn of the nineteenth century. Other authorized personnel were a Foreman and an Assistant Foreman of the Hose Company.
At right are Montesano Firefighters who marched in the 2009 Montesano Festival of Lights parade, clad in replica uniforms from the 1892 era. |
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According to tradition, the first piece of fire-fighting equipment was a hand-drawn, two-wheeled hose cart. No available pictures survive from 1892, however the photograph at right is a replica, built by a Volunteer Firefighter, that was drawn in the 2009 Montesano Festival of Lights, winning the Mayor's Trophy.
Below are the firefighters with Mayor Ron Schillinger (far left) posing with the Mayor's Trophy banner at the 2009 Festival of Lights parade.
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| The 1895 photograph at right was taken in front of the Fire Hall located at 100 E. Broadway. Ben Crane is identified as the Fire Chief in this picture. |
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In 1894, the Fire Department purchased a large bell from the E.W. VanDuzen Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio for $150.00. This bell was mounted atop a wooded tower where the Grays Harbor County Administrative Building now stands, and sounded the alarm to muster the volunteer firefighters.
This bell, pictured at right, now resides in the foyer of the current fire station. |
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| The 1905 picture at right shows a motorized truck with ladders and a hose cart. Even then, Montesano was a leader in utilizing modern equipment. |
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In 1913, work was begun on a new fire station. Pictured at right is the construction progress on January 1, 1914, at the site of what is now the Montesano City Hall, at 112 N. Main Street. The view is from the south side of Broadway, looking northeast across the intersection of Broadway and Main Street. The men are standing in front of a vacant lot where the Grays Harbor Administration Building now stands.
Names of those in the photograph:
Sitting Above, Left to Right:
Ivan Caldwell, Bert Schofield, Tom Brown, Perry McGee, Charles Wilder, Ray Douglas, 2 unidentified.
Standing, from left:
Clark Calder, Cobe Wartman, Oscar Moak, George Sells, Dr. Moak *, Bill Caldwell, Joe Cheney, Fay Wilcox, Ernie Parsons, Harry Latimer, Fred Pickering, Albert Schafer *, Reuben Fleet *, Cham, Claude Pickering *, Elvis Eaton, Vernon White, Bill Bush, Harry Pickering, Herk Shorey, George Gauntlett *, Gaston Moch *, Frank Byles, Lloyd Pickering *, Bert Resler.
* Indicates member of the Building Committee. |
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The new station was dedicated in May of 1917, photograph at right. The Fire Station remained in constant use until the current Fire Station opened in 1979 under the leadership of Mayor Walt Buzzard and Fire Chief William Rosen. This former Fire Station is now the Montesano City Hall.
Names of people those in the photograph, when legible:
Left Group: __ McNelley (standing), Jeff (?) Hunter, squatting.
Middle Group: Irv Urquhart, standing left, Earl Lewis, squatting left, Bert Johnson, standing right, Wayne Watson, squatting right.
Right Group: Harry Dearborn, standing left , "Bus" Healy, squatting left , Cyril Lee, standing center, Fred Easter, squatting right , Clyde Jacobs, standing far right.
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| 2010: Current City Hall at 112 N Main Street, which was the City's Fire Hall from 1917 until the new Fire Hall was built in 1979 at its current location at 310 E Pioneer Avenue. |
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Today the Montesano Fire Department still relies heavily on the support of thirty-five Volunteers, though it does employ a full-time staff of five firefighter/Paramedics (Officer II), a firefighter/PM (Officer I), a Fire Chief (Officer V), and a deputy clerk.
At right is the current Fire Hall at 310 E. Pioneer Avenue, completed in 1979. |
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Call volume has increased significantly since 1892, when the Fire Department responded to twenty-six calls for service. In 2009, the Montesano Fire Department responded to 1,174 requests for service; with the aging population, this number has been steadily increasing at a rate of 3%-6% per year.
Today, the Montesano Fire Department offers a full service emergency response which includes Emergency Medical Service, Fire Prevention, Hazardous Materials Response, Fire Response and Education for our citizens. The Fire Station is staffed 24 hours per day 365 days a year to meet the needs of the community. |
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