Early Years: Before Organized Fire Protection

First Fire - 1779

The story of Norwalk and fires must include the two largest fires ever to hit the city, both of which occurred before there was an organized fire department.

On July 10, 1779, British troops under General William Tryon ferried across Long Island Sound and landed at Calf Pasture Beach. From there, they moved inland up both sides of the harbor, skirmishing with local militia along the way. After a battle at the bottom of West Rocks hill, the British withdrew back to their boats, setting fire to the town. Destroyed in the fire were 130 homes, 40 shops, 100 barns, five ships, two churches, flour mills, and salt works.

Norwalk Conflagration - 1858

Less than eighty years later, a second devastating fire occurred in Norwalk. This fire led directly to the establishment of the first volunteer fire companies.

Buildings Destroyed

On November 19, 1858, a fire destroyed much of the business district centered at the head of the harbor at Wall and Commerce streets. The fire destroyed at least 16 buildings, including the railroad depot, the Isaacs block of office buildings, a lumberyard, and grocery stores. The Bank of Norwalk was rescued by pulling it from its foundation and hauling it away from the fire. The fire had started in a defective chimney in the Terrell and Down’s cabinet shop.

Norwalk Asks for Assistance

The borough of Norwalk had purchased a small, hand-pumped fire engine at some point to provide fire protection in the downtown area, but there was no organized or trained force to operate it. The hand pump was no match for the conflagration, so authorities telegraphed other cities asking for help. Danbury put two hose wagons and firefighters on a train and sent it south to help. Unfortunately, their firefighters arrived too late to be of much help. Efforts to get through to Bridgeport and Stamford by telegraph were unsuccessful.

Controversy Over City Fire Protection Begins

On November 23, 1858, the headline of the weekly Norwalk Gazette read, "Great Conflagration in Norwalk Sixteen Buildings in Ashes! Property to the Amount of $100,000 Destroyed."

The paper went on to report: "By far the most disastrous and extensive fire with which this town was ever visited, occurred on Friday, sweeping over one quarter of the “bridge” portion of the town…. It is with mortification that we allude to the fact that in a town the size of Norwalk, nothing but a little garden engine could be brought into requisition at this time.” The controversy over the lack of fire protection was also the subject of editorials in several area newspapers.

First Fire Companies in Norwalk

A New Engine

At the borough meeting on December 2, 1858, the Board of Burgesses for the Borough of Norwalk voted to appropriate monies for a fire engine. A committee recommended purchasing a crane-neck piano engine from J.J. Sickles Company for $1,000. The engine would be delivered with a hose cart and 500 feet of hose.

A meeting was scheduled for the following week at Phoenix Hall on Wall Street for the purpose of organizing a company to take charge of the engine. On December 15, 1858, an organizing meeting was held, and it was voted to adopt the name "Phoenix Hose No. 1." In April 1859, the new hand-pump engine arrived, and volunteers began training with it. Norwalk now had an organized firefighting force.

The Hook & Ladder Truck

In January 1861, the Board of Burgesses purchased a hook and ladder truck and authorized the formation of a company to man it. The Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company was thus organized. At that time, both Phoenix and Pioneer occupied a building Commerce Street.

The Steam Fire Engine

Soon after the end of the Civil War, Norwalk purchased a steam fire engine to replace the hand-pumped engine. Phoenix then changed its name to Phoenix Engine.

Some of the Phoenix volunteers decided to branch off into a separate company using the old hand pumper and hose cart. This new company voted to call itself “Hope Hose No. 2.”

By this time, Norwalk had opened a new fire station at 40 Main Street. Phoenix and Pioneer moved into that station, while Hope remained on Commerce Street.

South Norwalk Volunteers

Expansion of South Norwalk

After the Civil War, the city of South Norwalk grew quickly, becoming home to many factories and commercial buildings. It also experienced a number of major fires.

South Norwalk had no organized fire protection, and volunteers from Norwalk were often summoned for help. In the 1870s, a large fire caused $100,000 in damage to two buildings on South Main Street. The Norwalk volunteers were on scene and, as in the aftermath of the 1858 Norwalk conflagration, newspaper editorials decried the lack of fire protection in South Norwalk.

Old Well Hook & Ladder

The South Norwalk Fire Department came into existence when Old Well Hook and Ladder was formed on March 10, 1874. The company had a firehouse on Haviland Street for many years. Old Well’s equipment consisted of a horse-drawn hook and ladder truck with a tiller man’s steering position at the back.

Putnam Hose Company

On June 6, 1875, the Putnam Hose Company was formed to provide South Norwalk with a hose company. Putnam Hose maintained a horse-drawn hose wagon and a hose jumper, which was a large hose reel with wheels that could be pulled to fires by either horses or volunteers. The company was initially housed on Webster Street. In 1882, the company moved to a new station on Franklin Street.

East Norwalk Volunteers & Other Companies

East Norwalk's Companies

Mayflower Hook and Ladder was formed on May 10, 1887. The company purchased a hook and ladder truck from the Danbury Fire Department. Volunteers maintained quarters on Van Zant Street in the Randall building until the firehouse at 56 Van Zant Street was built.

The following year, Volunteer Hose was organized to provide a second volunteer company in East Norwalk. On June 1, 1894, East Norwalk became an organized Fire District, which allowed the district to tax residents for fire protection and other services.

When the tax district was formed, it bought the Hose Company’s jumper, and that company went out of existence. The Hook and Ladder Company was reorganized as Mayflower Hook, Ladder, and Hose.

Reliance Hook & Ladder

Several other volunteer companies were organized in areas that were within the Town of Norwalk but outside the incorporated areas of Norwalk, South Norwalk, and East Norwalk.

Two volunteer companies were formed in the village of Rowayton: Reliance Hook & Ladder in the 1890s and Rowayton Hose No. 1 in 1902. Reliance disbanded in 1923, but Rowayton Hose still provides fire protection to residents of the Sixth Taxing District.

Silvermine Volunteer Fire Company

Around 1940, the Silvermine Volunteer Fire Company was established by residents of the Silvermine area, which included parts Norwalk, Wilton, and New Canaan. The company was informally organized, never obtained a charter from the Connecticut State Fireman’s Association, and was never as active as the older companies. It used a barn located next door to present-day Silvermine School as its quarters. The company became inactive in the 1960s and later disbanded.

Paid Men, Horses & Motorized Fire Trucks

Industrialization

As the 20th century approached, changes in the city brought significant changes to the fire companies as well. The city was industrializing rapidly with numerous factories producing many types of apparel, iron works, and heavy equipment like pumps and boilers.

Paid Men & Alarm Systems

The volunteer fire companies began hiring men with experience handling horses to man the firehouses and bring the fire apparatus to fires. William Johnson was hired as a driver for Putnam Hose in 1894. Samuel McGowan was also hired by Putnam Hose in 1896, and Art Slauson was hired by Phoenix Engine in 1897. Johnson did not remain in the employ of the Fire Department for long, but both McGowan and Slauson had long careers in the department.

All three municipalities had also installed their own telegraph-type municipal alarm systems by the turn of the century.

Motorized Fire Trucks

In 1909, the first motorized fire truck in Norwalk was purchased from the Knox Company and assigned to Hope Hose. The Knox was a chemical-booster / hose wagon. This type of fire truck did not have a fire pump. Instead, it carried a small tank of soda and acid, a slightly larger tank of water, and a small-diameter booster fire hose.

The chemical wagon would be used to extinguish small fires or to begin attacking structure fires while the steamer and hose wagons hooked up to a water source and began pumping.

Over the next few years, two more chemical wagons were purchased, and another half dozen volunteers were hired to work as paid men at the various fire stations.

South Norwalk's New Fire Station

In 1912, the City of South Norwalk built a new Central Fire Station on Franklin Street. When completed, the Putnam and Old Well companies moved into the building. A large alarm bell, which was in the tower of the Putnam Hose fire house, was relocated to the new Central Station. This bell was moved again when Volk Central Station opened on Connecticut Avenue in 1964.

Consolidation

Merging the Departments

In 1913, voters in Norwalk voted to consolidate the cities of Norwalk and South Norwalk as well as the East Norwalk fire district. As part of the consolidation, the volunteer companies in the three departments were merged into one department.

First Chief & Deputy Chiefs

George Bogardus, who had been the volunteer fire chief in South Norwalk, was appointed as the first full-time chief of the City of Norwalk Fire Department. Three volunteer deputy chiefs - one for each district - were named as well: William Powell was the deputy for Norwalk, Samuel McGowan became the deputy for South Norwalk, and Fred Wheeler was the East Norwalk deputy.

In 1913, the paid drivers worked 24 hours a day, six days a week, with time off for meals. The men were paid $16 a week. The apparatus was a mix of horse-drawn and motorized vehicles.

World War I

During World War I, the federal government commandeered the Phoenix steam pumper for use at a shipyard on Wilson Point. When the yard closed at the end of the war, the government wanted to return the steamer to Norwalk, but the city felt the old steamer was worn out and asked them to replace it with a modern pumper. The federal government refused to do this and instead moved the steamer to city hall, where they abandoned it. The steamer was sold as scrap in 1922. The city sued the federal government for $10,000, but nothing ever came of the lawsuit.

The End of Horse-Drawn Fire Trucks

In 1917, the department purchased a motorized American LaFrance city service ladder truck. In 1919, a Mack city service truck was purchased. The city service ladder truck carried ground ladders and other equipment, but no aerial ladder. With the 1919 purchase, the city retired the last of its horse-drawn fire trucks.

The Roaring Twenties, Great Depression & WWII

Early 1920s - New Work Schedule & Vehicles

In 1920, the Fire Department went to a two-platoon work schedule. This created two shifts and allowed employees to work 84 hours a week - an improvement over the previous continuous-duty schedule.

In 1923, the department purchased its first modern gasoline engine pumper, a 750-gallon per minute American LaFrance. A Seagrave pumper and three more American LaFrance pumpers were purchased in the next four years, completing the modernization of the fleet. In addition, Chief Bogardus had a drill tower built behind Central Station to facilitate training.

Charles Volk

In 1923, Volunteer Deputy Chief Charles Volk was hired as a full-time member of the department. Volk was given the task of combining the three different alarm systems into one municipal alarm system.

The Great Depression

In 1931, the Fire Department closed the Commerce Street Station and moved the station's firefighters and pumper to Main Street. The move was done for economic reasons and reflected the reality that, with motorized apparatus, there was no need for two stations so close to each other.

On June 1, 1937, Chief Bogardus retired after serving with the department for over 50 years. Assistant Chief Volk was named as the new chief. In 1937, the department purchased a Mack suburban service pumper with a closed cab. A year later, a Mack city service ladder truck was also purchased.

The Aerial Ladder Truck & World War II

For many years, both Chief Bogardus and Chief Volk had requested the purchase of an aerial ladder truck. In 1941, the city finally relented and agreed to the purchase. However, the construction of the truck was delayed until the end of World War II, as it was not considered a priority for the war effort. The department was also able to acquire, through the War Department, a 1940 Ford fire apparatus with a front-mounted pump.

Hiring Temporary Firefighters

At the start of WWII, there were 41 men in the department. During the early days of the war, it was feared that the Germans would bomb factories along the East Coast. Norwalk decided to hire additional temporary firefighters to boost the number of on-duty personnel and to add defense firefighters to the ranks.

The Post-War Years

The Aerial Ladder Truck

At the end of the war, the Fire Department finally received its long-awaited aerial ladder. The truck, a 1946 Seagrave tractor-drawn, 85-foot aerial vehicle, had a tiller man’s rear steering position and a 12-cylinder engine. It was shipped by rail from Wisconsin to the rail yard on Ann Street. The purchase price was $22,500.

Changes in Working Hours

The department experienced several reductions in working hours after World War II. Firefighters first went to a staggering system that gave them 74-hour work weeks. In 1950, a three-platoon system with 56-hour work weeks was put into effect. The work hour reductions increased the size of the department and brought a large influx of World War II veterans into the department.

Additional Truck Purchases

The department purchased four Ward LaFrance 750 gallons per minute (gpm) pumpers between 1949 and 1953 to replace the 1920s models. In 1956, the department received its second tractor-drawn aerial, an 85-foot model from American LaFrance. Finally, two American LaFrance 750 gpm pumpers were added to the fleet between 1957 and 1959.

Unionization

On May 22, 1945, Norwalk firefighters unionized and were awarded a charter designating them as Local 830 of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). In 1957, a four-platoon, 42-hour work week was approved by Norwalk voters. This was the result of a successful campaign by the union to put a work week referendum on the ballot. These work week changes brought the size of the department up to 105 officers and men.

The 1960s: New Stations

Expanding the Department

By the end of the 1950s, the Fire Department's manpower had increased substantially, and its fleet was up-to-date. The biggest problem now facing the department was the age and condition of its stations. The post-war housing boom also forced the department to look at the locations of its stations. Officials began planning to move some stations out of the downtown areas and into locations that would provide faster responses to these rapidly growing areas of the city.

Broad River Fire Station

The first station replaced was the Main Street fire house. In 1961, the Broad River Fire Station No. 1 was opened at the corner of New Canaan and Silvermine avenues. This was the first fire station owned by the city instead of by a taxing district.

On February 2, 1961, Firefighter George Nash collapsed and died while fighting a fire on East Avenue. A plaque in the lounge of the new Broad River station was dedicated to his memory.

New Chief & Additional Stations

In 1962, the Board of Fire Commissioners asked Chief Volk to retire and voted to make Benjamin Mangels, chief of the Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department, his successor.

In 1964, the department moved out of its old headquarters and into the new Volk Central Station on Connecticut Avenue. In 1967, Station No. 4 opened on Westport Avenue, and in 1970 Station No. 5 opened on Meadow Street. Construction of a drill tower on South Smith Street begin in 1971. The department also began planning for a sixth fire station to be built in Cranbury; however, the recession of the early 1970s caused the project to be shelved.

New Vehicles for the New Stations

With the opening of the Meadow Street Station, the department reached its peak strength of 161 uniformed personnel. During the 1960s, the department purchased five American LaFrance pumpers. Three of these pumpers had 1,000-gallon water tanks to better serve areas without hydrants. The department also purchased a 1968 American LaFrance Aero Chief 85-foot snorkel. The first rescue truck, an International / Gerstenslager, was delivered in 1968.

The Seymour / Yost Era

Chief Eugene Seymour

When Chief Mangels retired in 1974, he was replaced by Deputy Chief Eugene Seymour. Chief Seymour was the first Fire Department chief to rise from the rank of paid firefighter. He had first worked as a call fireman in 1938 and was appointed as a regular on April 1, 1943.

Norwalk has always been home to a fleet of oyster boats, which are equipped with large water pumps. Chief Seymour worked with the oyster men to set up training so that, in the event of a major fire on the waterfront, firefighters could use the water supplied by the boat's pumps to augment their water supply.

1970s Truck Technology

In the 1970s, the department bought four more American LaFrance pumpers as well as a 100-foot, rear-mount American LaFrance aerial ladder. The 1970 pumper was the first pumper with a diesel motor and the first with a roof since the 1938 Mack. The 1973 pumper was the first with an automatic transmission.

Also in the 1970s, Mayor William Collins issued a decree stating that all new city vehicles would be white. The 1979 pumper was the first fire apparatus in this new color scheme. The vehicle was also the last the department purchased from American LaFrance.

Chief John Yost

When Chief Seymour retired in 1979, Deputy Chief John Yost was named as his replacement. Like Seymour, Yost had risen through the ranks of the department after being appointed in 1958. Chief Yost brought the department into the era of large diameter hoses, hazardous materials, and automatic mutual aid agreements.

Education & Rescue

Yost, who had an MPA from New York University, was a great believer in higher education for his firefighters. He encouraged them to take fire science classes at the Norwalk State Technical College. He also assigned firefighters to the department's rescue truck on a full-time basis. Previously, firefighters from an engine company at Central Station manned the rescue when it was needed for motor vehicle accidents. Under Yost's command, Rescue No. 2 was manned constantly and responded to all structure fires, hazardous materials calls, and accidents. The first manned rescue vehicle was a small, 1980 Saulsbury squad-type vehicle, which replaced the Gerstenslager.

An Aging Fleet & a New Chief

Rusting of the Fleet

By the 1980s, the fleet was rusting at an alarming rate. The steel used in manufacturing fire trucks and their water tanks in the sixties and seventies was very prone to rusting. One could often find the scene of a fire just by following the trail of water from leaking water tanks. The department purchased two 1983 Mack MC model pumpers to start replacing the rusted models.

In 1984, the department bought three Sutphen pumpers built on Pemfab chassis to replace the rest of the front-line pumpers. A Sutphen 85-foot tower ladder was purchased in 1985. In 1994, the department also received two vehicles, a pumper and a heavy-duty rescue, from the Marion Company. Both were built on Spartan chassis.

Chief James Verda

On September 26, 1997, Chief Yost suffered a fatal heart attack. He was buried with full honors after a funeral mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal James Verda was named acting chief at the time of Yost's death. Six months later, Verda was appointed chief. Chief Verda had been working for the department since 1959.

New Vehicles

In 2000, the Fire Department purchased a second Marion pumper. The next year, the department also purchased three Spartan chassis. They remounted the three Pemfab pumpers on these new chassis.

In 2005, the department bought a second Sutphen tower ladder, and in 2007, another Marion-Spartan pumper was delivered. The 2007 pumper marked a return to a red paint scheme after 25 years of white fire apparatus. The pumper was painted traditional red with gold lettering and red wheels. These had been the department colors from the 1920s until 1979. A third Marion pumper and a new Marion Heavy-Duty Rescue vehicle were also delivered in 2009.

Assistance on September 11

On September 11, 2001, following the attack on the World Trade Center and at the request of the New York City Fire Department, Norwalk firefighters were dispatched to a staging area at Yonkers Raceway. Here, they waited on standby to render assistance in the city if needed. Although they were not needed that day, many Norwalk firefighters returned to ground zero on their own time over the next few weeks to help where needed.

Chief Anderson

Chief Verda retired in April of 2004 and was replaced by Assistant Chief Sanford Anderson. Chief Anderson, who was hired in 1959, was the department's first African-American firefighter. He had been a long-time instructor with the Connecticut Fire Academy and was well-known throughout Connecticut for the many classes he taught.

In 2000, the Fire Department began responding to emergency medical calls as a designated first responder. This additional responsibility doubled the number of calls to which the department responded. Because of the strategic locations of the city's fire stations, dispatching a fire truck to life-threatening situations allowed firefighters to be on scene quickly to stabilize the situation until ambulance arrival.

Norwalk firefighters, who are trained as either emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or medical response technicians (MRTs), work closely with Norwalk Hospital paramedics on a daily basis. Since assuming first-responder duties, Norwalk firefighters have performed CPR on hundreds of patients.

Apparatus Maintenance Building

The department took occupancy of the former transit district garage on Fairfield Avenue for use as its apparatus repair facility in 2001. Prior to this acquisition, the department's mechanics were limited to using one bay at Central Station for all apparatus repairs. The new location allowed the department to have a well-equipped, four-bay maintenance shop as well as a large storage area for specialized units and reserve vehicles.

In 2008, the fire marshal's office moved into the office area in the front of this building.

Chief Denis McCarthy

In 2005, Chief Anderson retired after 46 years with the department. Westport Fire Department Chief Denis McCarthy was appointed as Anderson's replacement. Chief McCarthy led the effort to refurbish a former police boat for use as a fire boat.

Under Chief McCarthy's command, the department has also started a dive-rescue team, implemented a physical fitness program for department members, and increased manning on the rescue truck.