HISTORY
The Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number 1 was founded in 1909 by thirteen public spirited men who lived in the village of Prospect Heights which at the time had a total of only twelve dwellings. They realized there was a need to protect life and property from the ravages of fire and disasters of their brother man. At five minutes to four in the afternoon of December 15, 1909, the then Mercer County Clerk, George R. Robbins, appended his signature and affixed his official seal to an imposing looking legal document and those few community-spirited men from the village of Prospect Heights celebrated the birth of the Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number 1, Ewing Township's first Fire Company! The purposes for which the company was formed, according to the certificate of incorporation, was to "protect property of its members, the property and buildings of the citizens of the village of Prospect Heights from fire, and to improve the village of Prospect Heights".
The predecessor organization, which called itself the Prospect Heights Progress Club, was started on October 20, 1909 by the same gentlemen who later were the incorporators of the fire company. The Progress Club had the real zeal of the typical volunteer fire company faced with the ever present problem of raising funds. At the first meeting, dues were fixed at ten cents a month and a pig was obtained to be raffled off on Thanksgiving Eve to raise funds. At the December 1, 1909 meeting, the results of the raffle were very favorable and a committee of three was appointed "to see about a lot." A special meeting was held on December 6, 1909 and the committee made a very promising report to the members and it was decided to incorporate under the name of the "Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number One" and to construct a fire house. Authorization to build a 18 x 35 structure was given at the January 5, 1910 meeting and a ground breaking ceremony was held immediately. An auction was held for the highest bidder to turn over the first shovel of earth. That esteemed honor went to J. Combs at a cost of $2.50. Work progressed rapidly on the building and most of the work was done by the members and the materials were secured on a note personally signed by William Cook.
The Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number 1 was founded in 1909 by thirteen public spirited men who lived in the village of Prospect Heights which at the time had a total of only twelve dwellings. They realized there was a need to protect life and property from the ravages of fire and disasters of their brother man. At five minutes to four in the afternoon of December 15, 1909, the then Mercer County Clerk, George R. Robbins, appended his signature and affixed his official seal to an imposing looking legal document and those few community-spirited men from the village of Prospect Heights celebrated the birth of the Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number 1, Ewing Township's first Fire Company! The purposes for which the company was formed, according to the certificate of incorporation, was to "protect property of its members, the property and buildings of the citizens of the village of Prospect Heights from fire, and to improve the village of Prospect Heights".
The predecessor organization, which called itself the Prospect Heights Progress Club, was started on October 20, 1909 by the same gentlemen who later were the incorporators of the fire company. The Progress Club had the real zeal of the typical volunteer fire company faced with the ever present problem of raising funds. At the first meeting, dues were fixed at ten cents a month and a pig was obtained to be raffled off on Thanksgiving Eve to raise funds. At the December 1, 1909 meeting, the results of the raffle were very favorable and a committee of three was appointed "to see about a lot." A special meeting was held on December 6, 1909 and the committee made a very promising report to the members and it was decided to incorporate under the name of the "Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company Number One" and to construct a fire house. Authorization to build a 18 x 35 structure was given at the January 5, 1910 meeting and a ground breaking ceremony was held immediately. An auction was held for the highest bidder to turn over the first shovel of earth. That esteemed honor went to J. Combs at a cost of $2.50. Work progressed rapidly on the building and most of the work was done by the members and the materials were secured on a note personally signed by William Cook.
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As the community grew so did the need for a larger fire house. In 1937, our current building was constructed during the Great Depression era by labor furnished by the Works Progress Administration and materials supplied by the fire company. Again as the need for more apparatus space and room to better serve the community arose, additions to the building were added in the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's, again by labor almost entirely furnished by the membership. These were monumental tasks and a huge undertaking. The members who contributed put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears into what we now have today, which we are all very proud of!
The first fire engine was purchased as a running gear (the wagon age equivalent of the chassis and wheels of an automobile) and the President of the company, William Cook, designed and built it. It was equipped with soda acid fire extinguishers, buckets, ropes, axes and a ladder. At the beginning, the fire wagon was pulled to fires by manpower and later by horsepower.
In 1952, the first in a line of pumpers was put into service from the Mack Truck Company of Allentown, PA. This was the start of a proud tradition as the company has realized "Mack Dependability", and the Bulldog found a home in Prospect Heights! In 1957, a Bruco pumper on a Ford chassis was purchased to replace the converted 40's era equipment. In 1965, the second Mack was purchased and this was our first cab forward pumper.
Shortly afterwards, the members recognized the need for a aerial ladder device to serve our community. In 1967, the Seagrave Fire Apparatus Company of Wisconsin, delivered a 100 foot aerial ladder truck which was the first aerial ladder apparatus in Ewing Township. This unit was repowered and repainted in 1979. In 1970, a 1000 GPM pumper was purchased from the Mack Company and was the first apparatus with a fully enclosed cab for the safety of the firefighters. This replaced the 1957 Bruco. In 1976, another Mack was placed into service to replace the 1952 Mack. This was the first engine that broke from the traditional red and was painted "lime yellow" for better visibility. It is also the first to carry 1000 gallons of water in its tank for quick fire knock down. In 1981, another first, the Township of Ewing purchased its first fire truck from Mack Trucks, a 1250 GPM pumper. Also, in 1981, the company purchased from the Emergency One Apparatus Company a utility vehicle carrying a large electric generator and high power lighting along with other equipment for use at fire and emergency scenes. This truck has proved its worth many times!
Beginning in 1986, our Seagrave aerial was replaced by a 100' ladder tower built by Ladder Towers Incorporated. Significant about this was that it would not fit into our firehouse. The fire company saw that the apparatus being built were going to be much bigger than in the past and that would be the way it would be in the future. A new addition in 1986 was added to the existing firehouse to make room for all of our apparatus including the new LTI ladder truck. Four engine bays, a radio room, storage and work space and a bay for smaller emergency vehicles was constructed. Continuing the tradition of members doing the work themselves, the former engine bays were remodeled into a recreation and members room, offices, and small hall.
The first fire engine was purchased as a running gear (the wagon age equivalent of the chassis and wheels of an automobile) and the President of the company, William Cook, designed and built it. It was equipped with soda acid fire extinguishers, buckets, ropes, axes and a ladder. At the beginning, the fire wagon was pulled to fires by manpower and later by horsepower.
In 1952, the first in a line of pumpers was put into service from the Mack Truck Company of Allentown, PA. This was the start of a proud tradition as the company has realized "Mack Dependability", and the Bulldog found a home in Prospect Heights! In 1957, a Bruco pumper on a Ford chassis was purchased to replace the converted 40's era equipment. In 1965, the second Mack was purchased and this was our first cab forward pumper.
Shortly afterwards, the members recognized the need for a aerial ladder device to serve our community. In 1967, the Seagrave Fire Apparatus Company of Wisconsin, delivered a 100 foot aerial ladder truck which was the first aerial ladder apparatus in Ewing Township. This unit was repowered and repainted in 1979. In 1970, a 1000 GPM pumper was purchased from the Mack Company and was the first apparatus with a fully enclosed cab for the safety of the firefighters. This replaced the 1957 Bruco. In 1976, another Mack was placed into service to replace the 1952 Mack. This was the first engine that broke from the traditional red and was painted "lime yellow" for better visibility. It is also the first to carry 1000 gallons of water in its tank for quick fire knock down. In 1981, another first, the Township of Ewing purchased its first fire truck from Mack Trucks, a 1250 GPM pumper. Also, in 1981, the company purchased from the Emergency One Apparatus Company a utility vehicle carrying a large electric generator and high power lighting along with other equipment for use at fire and emergency scenes. This truck has proved its worth many times!
Beginning in 1986, our Seagrave aerial was replaced by a 100' ladder tower built by Ladder Towers Incorporated. Significant about this was that it would not fit into our firehouse. The fire company saw that the apparatus being built were going to be much bigger than in the past and that would be the way it would be in the future. A new addition in 1986 was added to the existing firehouse to make room for all of our apparatus including the new LTI ladder truck. Four engine bays, a radio room, storage and work space and a bay for smaller emergency vehicles was constructed. Continuing the tradition of members doing the work themselves, the former engine bays were remodeled into a recreation and members room, offices, and small hall.
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A 1991 purchase of a 2000 gpm pumper with an articulated 55' "Squrt" device from Pierce Manufacturing in Appleton, Wisconsin, was another first...the articulated waterway... for Ewing Township. A Pierce 2000 gpm pumper was put in service in 1996 and a 2004 American LaFrance pumper replaced the last of our remaining Mack pumpers. In November 2008, a 100' Tower Ladder from American LaFrance replaced the 1986 LTI Tower Ladder and the Light Plant purchased by the fire company in 1982 was replaced by a Sutphen 2014 Special Services truck.
In 2017 we acquired a replacement for our 1991 Pierce "Squrt" with a 2000 gpm articulated "Squrt" from Smeal/LTC which was built in Amish country Lancaster, Pennsylvania where our previous 1986 LTI 100' ladder tower was built. Smeal purchased LTI with that component of the business being renamed LTC (Ladder Tower Corporation). Interesting to note is that the 1991 Pierce that was replaced was sold to Lambertville Fire Co., just north of us on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County.
That's where our fine fleet and facilities stand today, poised to roll and ready to accommodate at a moments notice! Also, may we mention how very proud the members are of their equipment and this has been reflected by the many trophies and awards that have been won at various parades and musters!
Today, the company is a first class, modernized fire company. All equipment is the latest and safest "state of the art" fire equipment of today. The company goes to great strides to see all of its members are equipped with the proper safety equipment to better protect them in the performance of their duties protecting life and property in Ewing Township and the surrounding area.
Thanks to the generous support from our community through its donations to our annual fund drive, Friday night bingo, ham dinners, and more, we have been able to stay in existence providing our life and property saving service to our neighbors. We are very proud of the fact we have never charged or have not imposed a municipal fire tax for our service we have been providing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 100 years now. May we also remember the thirteen founders and all our departed members of our company who gave so much of themselves to give us what we have today! They all have exemplified by their volunteer service the basic moral principal of helping they neighbor. They all have merited our silent prayers.
The vision, courage and faith that our founders have instilled in us has kept us ever-faithful to our duty and we hope that spirit will enable us to continue our vital service to our community and brother man. The success of our company in future years will depend on us and on those to whom we shall pass the torch. Let us act wisely.
Credits: Original company history by Joseph (Jay) M. Lenarski, and edited/appended by Douglas W. Brower
In 2017 we acquired a replacement for our 1991 Pierce "Squrt" with a 2000 gpm articulated "Squrt" from Smeal/LTC which was built in Amish country Lancaster, Pennsylvania where our previous 1986 LTI 100' ladder tower was built. Smeal purchased LTI with that component of the business being renamed LTC (Ladder Tower Corporation). Interesting to note is that the 1991 Pierce that was replaced was sold to Lambertville Fire Co., just north of us on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County.
That's where our fine fleet and facilities stand today, poised to roll and ready to accommodate at a moments notice! Also, may we mention how very proud the members are of their equipment and this has been reflected by the many trophies and awards that have been won at various parades and musters!
Today, the company is a first class, modernized fire company. All equipment is the latest and safest "state of the art" fire equipment of today. The company goes to great strides to see all of its members are equipped with the proper safety equipment to better protect them in the performance of their duties protecting life and property in Ewing Township and the surrounding area.
Thanks to the generous support from our community through its donations to our annual fund drive, Friday night bingo, ham dinners, and more, we have been able to stay in existence providing our life and property saving service to our neighbors. We are very proud of the fact we have never charged or have not imposed a municipal fire tax for our service we have been providing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for 100 years now. May we also remember the thirteen founders and all our departed members of our company who gave so much of themselves to give us what we have today! They all have exemplified by their volunteer service the basic moral principal of helping they neighbor. They all have merited our silent prayers.
The vision, courage and faith that our founders have instilled in us has kept us ever-faithful to our duty and we hope that spirit will enable us to continue our vital service to our community and brother man. The success of our company in future years will depend on us and on those to whom we shall pass the torch. Let us act wisely.
Credits: Original company history by Joseph (Jay) M. Lenarski, and edited/appended by Douglas W. Brower