History of Richlandtown Fire Co. #1

ON NOV. 16TH, 1905, THE CITIZENS OF RICHLANDTOWN HELD THEIR FIRST PRELIMINARY MEETING FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING A FIRE COMPANY. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE EXECUTUIVE OFFICERS WERE ELECTED, A PARADE WAS PLANNED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE QUAKERTOWN, COOPERSBURG, PERKASIE, SELLERSVILLE, AND THE TELFORD FIRE CO.’S BEING IN ATTENDANCE.

ON MARCH 10TH, 1906, THE FIRST OFFICIAL DRILL WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY CHIEF WEILAND. LATER ON THAT YEAR, ON NOV. 15TH, THE RICHLANDTOWN FIRE CO. #1 WAS OFFICIALLY INCORPORATED. THEN, ON DEC. 9TH, 1906, THE BORO COUNCIL DONATED $150.00. THIS WAS TO COVER THE PURCHASES OF 100FT. OF HOSE, 12 LEATHR BUCKETS, 6 RUBBER COATS, 6 HELMETS, 50FT. OF ¾” ROPE, AND A MEGAPHONE.

EARLY THE FOLLOWING YEAR, IT WAS DECIDED BY THE FIRE CO., THAT A POOL TABLE SHOULD BE PURCHASED FOR THE SOCIAL ROOM. IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT 500 CIGARS AND 15 POUNDS OF CHEWING TOBACCO BE BOUGHT FOR WHEN THE FIREMEN COULD RELAX AFTER A BIG FIRE.

IN 1912, THE RICHLANDTOWN FIRE CO. #1 BECAME MEMBERS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION. IN 1913, A MEETING WAS HELD IN NEWTOWN BORO, AND THE COMPANY HELPED ORGANIZE THE BUCKS COUNTY FIREMEN’S ASSOCIATION.

FINALLY, IN 1921, THE FIRE COMPANY HELD A PARADE AND HOUSING CEREMONY FOR THE PURCHASE OF A 1921 REO FIRETRUCK THAT HAD A 350 G.P.M. HALE PUMP. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A FIRE LATER ON THAT NIGHT AT A 3-STORY WAREHOUSE LOCATED WHERE MIKE’S AUTO BODY NOW STANDS. THE FIRETRUCK WAS UNABLE TO BE USED BECAUSE NOONE HAD BEEN TRAINED BY THE CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR FOR THE APPARATUS.

NUMEROUS CHANGES TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE FIRE COMPANY IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. IN 1923, A FIRE ALARM SYSTEM WAS PURCHASED BY THE LADIES AUXILLARY. THE JANITOR WAS INSTRUCTED TO GIVE 6 BLASTS EVERY MONDAY NIGHT. IN 1924, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE JANITOR ONLY GIVE 2 BLASTS EVERY MONDAY NIGHT AT 7 P.M. ON NOV. 24TH, A MOTION WAS PASSED TO PURCHASE A NEW CHEMICAL PUMPER. ON JUNE 1ST, 1925, THAT MOTION WAS CARRIED OUT WITH THE PURCHASE AND DELIVERY OF A NEW FORD FIRE ENGINE FROM HALE FIRE & PUMP FOR THE PRICE OF $2,142.22. IN 1926, THE REO FIRETRUCK WAS OVERHAULED FOR $16.05. 4 YEARS AFTER THE REO WAS OVERHAULED, A NEW INTERNATIONAL FIRE PUMPER WAS PURCHASED.

ON OCTOBER 19TH, 1959, BIDS WERE SENT OUT TO PUT AN ADDITION ON THE EXPANDING FIREHOUSE. THE BID THAT WAS ACCEPTED IN THE AMOUNT OF $6,780. A FEW YEARS AFTER THE ADDITION WAS PUT UP, ALL OF THE FIRE BOXES WHICH WERE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE BORO TO ALERT RESIDENTS AND FIREMEN OF A FIRE, WERE REMOVED AND THE FIRE COMPANY WENT TO A PHONE DISPATCH SYSTEM. IN 1967, HOME ALERTING SYSTEMS ( ALSO KOWN AS “INSTALERTS”) WERE PURCHASED IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,432.00.

ON MARCH 2ND, 1970, THE FIRE COMPANY TOOK DELIVERY OF IT’S FIRST 4-WHEEL DRIVE APPARATUS. IT WAS A DODGE MINI-POMPER PURCHASED FOR $14,000. LATER ON THAT YEAR IN SEPTEMBER, A PARADE AND TRUCK HOUSING WAS HELD IN CELBRATION OF THE DODGE MINI-PUMPER. 52 FIRETRUCKS AND 250 FIREMEN PARTICIPATED IN THE PARADE.

ON APRIL 1ST, 1974, A PATCH DESIGN THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY CURTIS HINKLE, WAS ADOPTED AS THE OFFICIAL RICHLANDTOWN FIRE CO. PATCH. THE PATCH IS STILL WORN PROUDLY BY THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS TODAY.

ON JANUARY 10TH, THE BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER COMPLETELY TOOK OVER ALL DISPATCHING FOR ALL FIRES AND EMERGENCIES FOR THE RICHLANDTOWN FIRE COMPANY.

IN SEPT. OF 1980, A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF FRED BARTHOLOMEW BUILT THE TROPHY CASE WHICH IS STILL ON DISPLAY IN THE MEETING ROOM AT THE FIREHOUSE. THE TROPHY CASE IS FILLED WITH NUMEROUS TROPIES AND OTHER MEMORALBILIA FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF THE DEPARTMENT.

IN JANUARY OF 1981, PERSONAL PAGERS WERE PURCHASED FOR PERSONNEL TO CARRY WITH THEM. THESE WERE ACTIVATED BY THE BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNICATINS CENTER AND THEY ALERTED THE FIREMEN AS TO WHERE EXACTLY THE EMERGENCY WAS LOCATED AT. PAGERS CONTINUE TO BE A MAJOR PART IN THE EMERGENCY ALERTING PROCESS. HOWEVER, THE RISING COSTS MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUOUSLY UPGRADE THESE UNITS.

IN AUGUST OF 1984, ANOTHER ADDITION WAS COMPLETED OF THE FIREHOUSE. 5 BAY DOORS AND A KITCHEN WERE ALL PART OF THE RENOVATION. THE 5 BAY DOORS HELPED MAKE WAY FOR THE DEPARTMENT’S FIRST TANK TRUCK WHICH WAS PURCHASED AND DELIVERED IN APRIL, 1986.

IN NOVEMEMBER, 1991, THE 9-1-1 EMERGNCY HOTLINE WAS ACTIVATED. IT MADE REPORTING EMERGENCIES A LOT EASIER FOR RESIDENTS OF THE BORO. THEY NO LONGER HAD TO DIAL A 10-DIGIT NUMBER. THEY ONLY HAD TO DIAL 3.

IN JANUARY OF 1994, THE RICHLANDTOWN FIRE CO. #1 HELD IT’S 1000TH REGULAR MEETING. IN APRIL OF THE SAME YEAR, IT WAS DECIDED BY THE COMPANY TO PURCHASE A K.M.E PUMPER TO REPLACE THE CURRENT FIRST-OUT APPARATUS. IN MAY OF 1995, THE K.M.E. PUMPER IS OFFICIALLY PLACED INTO SERVICE.

IN JULY OF 1999, THE ORIGINAL TANK TRUCK IS SOLD. A 1999 PETERBILT, 3000 GALLON TANKER IS PLACED INTO SERVICE.

IN APRIL OF 2000, THE COMMON PRACTICE OF RIDING ON THE TAILBOARD OF THE FIELD TRUCK, WHILE RESPONDING TO CALLS , IS DISCONTINUED. MANY MEMBERS SAY THAT WAS THE END OF AN ERA. FOR YEARS FIREFIGHTERS RODE ON THE TAILBOARDS OF FIRETRUCKS TO RESPOND TO CALLS. MANY TIMES, THIS WAS THE ONLY PLACE YOU COULD PUT ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ON THE APPARATUS.

IN 2001, IT WAS DECIDED BY THE COMPANY TO HOST THE 87TH BUCKS COUNTY FIREMEN’S PARADE AND PURCHASE A THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA. LATER IN 2002, IT WAS ALSO DECIDED BY THE COMPANY TO DESIGN AND PURCHASE A NEW FIELD TRUCK.

IN 2005, RICHLANDTOWN FIRE CO. #1 TOOK DELIVERY OF A 2005 FORD/SEMO FIELD TRUCK AND HOSTED THE 87TH BUCKS COUNTY FIREMEN’S PARADE.