Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department

Previously called the Pompton Volunteer Fire division with regards to had been arranged on February 25, 1907. Title was changed in 1958 toward Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department.

History

It absolutely was a tragic occasion that happened over ninety years ago that led to the company of understanding today the Riverdale Volunteer Fire division. Mr. MacWithey, a resident of the village of Pompton, came back residence on news that their partner and two kids perished in a fire that used there household that time. This event spurred the city residents to arrange, as they put it, "To preserve and protect residential property from and during these types of fires as may possibly occur in village of Pompton N.J. and area."

Twenty-three guys were contained in Posts Mercantile Shop regarding Hamburg-Paterson Turnpike at 8:15pm on January 2, 1907 to go over the corporation of a local fire department.

Mr. Irwin Titus ended up being nominated and elected short-term chairman and C. E. Banks was elected short-term secretary. Initial order of business had been the preparation of three subscription listings the raising of resources by popular subscription. Messrs. J. Haycock, W. Gormely, and A. Hopper had been appointed since the membership committee, each to pay for a certain part of the town. It was noted only at that meeting that Mr. E. R. Richards began record with a donation of $25.00 and pledged an identical amount for Mr. J. C. Richards. At this exact same conference, an Apparatus Committee ended up being appointed to analyze and acquire data concerning fire-fighting equipment.

A significant election occurred as of this first meeting associated with new fire division what things to identify this set of stalwart men aimed at the combat of fire and the preservation of life, limb, and home. Two recommendations were made Pompton Fire division and Federal Rock Fire division. "Pompton" won out-by a vote of fifteen to eight.

Aside from the earlier mentioned, the remaining creators had been: Messrs. W. Slingerland, C. Williams, L. Coutts, A. Demarest, J. Demarest, L. Slingerland, J. Brinkerhoff, M. Brown, L. Werling, G. Mead, J. Close, F. Siebald, G. Fallon, W. Mathews, C. Lawton, and I. Van Duyne.

At second meeting, held on January 9, 1907, these officials were duly chosen and installed: I. Titus, President; G. Mead, Vice-President; C. Banks, Secretary; C. Mead, Treasurer; and J. Demarest, J. Brinkerhoff, and W. Slingerland as Trustees. E. R. Richards was chosen Chief at a subsequent conference. This election took up much time, considering a contest, your stability of officers were duly elected at another meeting. At that moment, these officers had been put in: J. Demarest, 2nd Asst. Chief; J. Shroeder, third Asst. Chief; G. Mead, Capt. of Engine Co.; J. Brinkerhoff, Capt. of Hose Co.; H. Miller, Lieut. of motor Co.; A. Brown, Lieut. of Hose Co.; C. Mead, Engineer; A. Hopper, 1st Asst. Engineer; and W. Slingerland, second Asst. Engineer.

The Pompton Volunteer Fire Department was formally organized on February 25, 1907. At a subsequent meeting in March of 1907, the main, E. R. Richards offered to give ten (10) pails towards division, however the division believed they could buy many pails and empowered the Apparatus Committee to acquire "three dozen pails and paint them red." As soon as 1907, based on the mins, the committee investigated the feasibility of a power fire home security system, but had been turned-down to be impractical. At a later meeting, Mr. W. Gormely had been authorized to "build a two wheeled vehicle, to hold ladders, at a price not to go beyond $10.00." A decision ended up being made at a subsequent conference, later on that very first 12 months, to buy a gasoline engine from Howe fire-engine Co. of the latest York.

After satisfying in various stores for annually, the firemen rented the building associated with Riverdale personal Club, located on Arlington destination, for $1.00 per month, which covered five conferences. Dances had been held through the summertime during the Pavilion, which will be now today's website of Richards Funeral Home. These dances helped to raise cash for the division.