Welcome to West Deer V.F.D. 1

It started with a scare...

In 1929, it was though that the Curtisville School was on fire. A number of men ran to help, only to realize that they had nothing to fight the fire with. Fortunately, the schoolhouse wasn't on fire, but this experience coupled with a fire at a residence shortly thereafter, convinced a number of men that a fire department was definitely a need. And thus became the birth ot West Deer V.F.D. #1. 

Harry Davison, Sr. James Staley, Henry Baumgartel, Herbet Hess, Flord Dawson, Clark Porter, J.C. Benke along with Karns and William Hazlett were among those who started the department. The men borrowed a piece of property from the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad located near the Culmerville Bridge and purchased and old blacksmith shop for $70.00. They then proceeded to dismantle the building, which was located in Dorseyville, and reconstructed it on their newly obtained site. The building, which housed one truck, was located next to the J. Norris residence and he became responsible for receiving fire calls and setting off a siren to call the volunteers to their station. A rope was installed from the siren switch to the Norris home so that he needed only to reach out his front door to set off the siren with a pull of the rope. 

The first truck purchased by the fledgling fire department was an American LaFrance engine which cost $5,000.00. Raising this amount of money was a struggle, but the men persevered and with some township help, they managed to raise it. 

In 1946, an additional truck was purchased, a WWII vintage army fire truck known affectionately to its owners as the "GI", came equipped with four wheel drive to aid in fighting brush fires. A tank truck to carry water was obtained in 1949 and this was replaced in 1953 with a new tank truck carrying a stainless steel tank made at Allegheny Ludlum in Brackenridge, PA. 

A new pumper was needed in the mid fifties and 1956 saw the purchase of a new Howe pumper on a GMC chassis. 1962 saw the addition of a 1,200 gallon truck and in 1967, the original community water truck was replaced with a 1,000 gallon tanker. 

The original one room fire house was expanded several times to house the additional equipment purchased and to have a place to meet or hold bingos to raise money. In 1969. after several months of hard work by several dozen fireman and a few friends, West Deer V.F.D. #1 relocated to its current location, just a few hundred feet from its original location. The new facility would be large enough to house all the fire apparatus and would include a large social hall with a large, well-equipped kitchen and a comfortable recreation area for the members to relax or hold meetings in.

In 1972, West Deer V.F.D. #1 made its initial commitment to the rescue service by retiring the "GI" and purchasing a four wheel drive unit that served a dual purpose of brush fires as well as rescue calls. 1976 saw the retirement of the '56 pumper which was replaced with a modern, diesel powered pumper capable of pumping 1,250 gallons of water a minute. The truck also featured jumo seats for rapid firefighter respone. The truck, at a price of $44,000.00, cost nearly four times as much as the old one.

With funds totally raised on their own, the ladies auxiliary of West Deer V.F.D. #1 purchased and donated a 1976 GMC van to the firefighters.

After realizing the success of a dual purpose vehicle in 1976, the department made a similar commitment in 1981 by purchasing a Mack pumper-tanker. The truck, which could pump 1,250 gallons per minute, also was designed to carry 3,000 gallons of water, nearly four times as much as the pumper. With an increasing shortage of day-time firefighters, the truck was a great success because it was able to pump and carry large volumes of water along with carrying the essential equipment needed for fire fighting nearly every type if fire. The truck was widely known through the valley for its water carrying capabilities and was named the "Big Buck".

After hauling hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to fires and to residents without city water, the '67 tanker was replaced in 1987 with a Ford diesel, carrying 1,500 gallons of water. The truck featured a short wheelbase, making it more maneuverable in tight spots.

1990 saw the replacement of the '76 pumper wih a 4-Guys Ford pumper, capable of pumping 1,250 gallons of water per minute. The unique feature of this truck was the location of the pump panel onto the top of the truck instead of being traditionally on the side. This was able to give the pump operater 360 degree field of vision at the fire scene. In 1999, the truck's hose bed was upgraded, making it capable of carrying 2,000 feet of 5 inch hose.

After serving its purpose well, the GMC van was replaced in 1993 with a Ford 4X4 pickup truck. The truck was designed to not only transport firefighters, but also carry a large amount of equipment to and from the fire scene in all types of weather.

After realizing an increased volume of rescue calls, as well as the need for more rescue equipment, 1997 created what was the departments' largest and most complex truck in it's history. Three objectives were in mind when this truck was designed. First, it must be capable of carrying a large amount of equipment. Second, it needed to transport a large amount of personnel safely and comfortably. Finally, it must be capable of being a command center for large incidents.

With nearly two years of planning and with an investment of almost $300,000.00, a new Rescue 288 was created. Built on an HME chassis with a ten man cab, the truck transport rescue equipment for incidents ranging from car accidents to a building collapse. Something not typically on any other truck. It carriers a rear mounted crane which can extend nearly thirty feet and can lift 12,000 lbs from a close range. The crane is used also to lift the self-contained trench rescue equipment, housed in the center of the vehicle. A light tower is mounted on top and rises to twenty-five feet. This light tower provides 6,000 watts of light. Power is provided by a 35,000 watt generator. The cab features heating and air conditioning for recovery from the elements.

In 2004, the department performed a total renovation of the social hall and member's rest rooms. Keeping in mind the physically disabled, the design incorporates easier access as well as ease of maintenance with the addition of a separate maintenance closet. To keep the overall cost down, the membership devote over 1,300  man hours in the project.

Seventy-five years of pride, commitment and dedication to our community still stands stong. From the one vehicle that we started with, to the specialized fleet of vehicles that we have now. As we enter the next seventy-five years, we pledge ourselves to continue to improve in the future, being challenged from the pride of the past.