Volunteer Fire Department in Ohio

The very first recorded fire in Chagrin Falls history took place October of 1834. The blaze involved a barn in the spot of what exactly is now principal and Orange Streets. All seven men of community responded to the fire in which they formed an impromptu fire organization. The historic account of the fire states the males help with “super-human attempts” and could conserve the barn from particular destruction. On the next 10 years the small community because of the falls grew from a hamlet of seven families in order to become an incorporated Village in 1845. Without foresight generate a dedicated firefighting power numerous fires destroyed Village organizations, domiciles and barns.
It had beenn’t until 1868 when an entire row of shops North of Main Street bridge had been totally damaged that Mayor J.W. Williams and Village Council purchased a hook and ladder, buckets and ladders. Even though there clearly was still no band of arranged individuals who were trained to use this gear.

On November 4th 1897 the Village Council drafted a constitution for a recommended fire department and appointed Mr. Fred Rehberg while the proposed businesses Chief. A couple weeks later the Village got a brand new hook-and-ladder vehicle and immediately bought fifteen sets of firefighting gear. Village Council established the Chagrin Falls Volunteer Fire division and appointed 22 charter members including a brand new Chief, Dr. Bernard LeRoy. The fire divisions equipment ended up being hauled by horses through to the Village bought its first motorized fire engine in 1923.

Once the communities around Chagrin Falls grew, in 1930’s, the Chagrin Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department people formed a non-profit company referred to as Chagrin Falls Suburban Fire Department which started offering fire-protection for some of Chagrin Valley including Auburn, Bainbridge, Bentleyville, Chesterland, searching Valley, Moreland Hills, Orange, Pepper Pike, Solon and Woodmere.

In 1931 the Village updated its means of notifying people in an emergency by buying a roof siren changing the bells which had offered for so many many years. Over the years much more fire vehicles had been purchased by the Suburban Fire division to protect the outlying communities they served under agreements. Village problems were handled mainly by Village Fire Department gear.

The 1940’s saw the acquisition of more modern firefighting gear, vehicles that could carry up to 5 times even more liquid than previous device. In 1951 the Fire division included Emergency Medical Care to its scope of duty once the Stroud Funeral Residence donated an Ambulance to your Suburban Fire division.

The Auxiliary Fire division was created in 1955 to offer a formal education surface for young men thinking about joining the regular Fire division as there was a cap on its account. The Auxiliary division served its purpose really when it comes to many years until it was replaced because of the existing membership rank and class system in 1981.

The 1960’s brought united states yet newer fire device, trucks with pumps twice how big is anything we’ve had before and diesel machines to run the vehicles. The 1970’s saw the arrival of still another new-fire trucks including a 55’ ladder truck and a donated ambulance from 1 if its many committed users, C.S. “Brick” Harris and his sibling Mrs. C.B. Waite. Within The 1980 the Village appointed its very first full-time Fire Chief, John “Jack” Phillips. Chief Phillips managed a single day to-day businesses of both Village and Suburban Fire Departments.
Inside 1990’s the Fire Department started to look because it does these days utilizing the acquisition of modern, personalized “E-One” Engine and Ladder Trucks as well as a go on to big Rescue Squads. This new millennium has brought increases in staffing and brand new cutting-edge lifesaving gear to manage the many requires service we
receive. 2015 introduced united states two new custom Pierce Apparatus to replace our twenty-year old fire due Engine and Ladder Truck.

Our History Continues…..

FIRE CHIEFS
Fred Rehberg 1897
Bernard R. Le Roy 1897 – 1898
Tom N. Bright 1898 – 1903
G.E. Waite 1903 – 1908
G.D. Cameron 1908 – 1910
C.O. Rodgers 1910 – 1914
George Wilson 1914 – 1920
Harry Russell 1920 – 1923
C.B. Waite 1923 – 1924
Jack Grazer 1924 – 1926
George Wilson 1926 – 1934
Glenn Search 1934 – 1935
Fred Hern 1936 – 1942
Dave Chittock 1942 – 1945
Charles Hern 1946 – 1977
Bill Raymond 1978 – 1980

See also:

• Westgate River Ranch Resort