HISTORY
On October 21, 1921, a few men met in the home of Lloyd Tredway
and started the Chester Volunteer Fire Company. They mounted
Lloyd Tredway’s chemical tank onto William Axford’s
Pierce Arrow chassis in Morris Chamberlain’s garage and
the first apparatus was on-line. An electric alarm was installed
atop of Green's drug store (directly across the street from
the firehouse) and the telephone operator, located in the rear
of the drug store, spread the alarm. By the end of 1922 there
were 47 members and three alarms. Population was 1200.
As the Chester municipalities have grown in population, so has
the complexity and scope of Fire Company operations. Fires are
no longer controlled solely by spraying water. Today the Company
is able to select from a mixture of water pressures, foam, and
ventilation techniques. Training, once on-the-job, has now become
formalized. New recruits are required to complete a basic academy
fire fighting course before they are able to fight fires. In
spite of all the improvements in technology and training, two
things have remained the same within the company: a dedication
to protect the lives, property and environment of Chester residents. |
