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| "The First Members - 1923" |
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| 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. |
The First Aid Squad
The Chester Volunteer First Aid Squad originated in 1945 as a branch of the Chester Fire Company #1. Its first rig was a Ford station wagon from the Civil Defense that was converted to serve as an emergency ambulance. In its first year, the squad handled 23 emergency calls. In 1954, The Fire Company and First Aid Squad held its first Fund Drive and 1959 the Squad broke the century mark with 104 responses. In 1987, as the call volume continued to increase, the Chester Volunteer First Aid Squad became independent of the First Company and membership was opened to any resident of the Borough or Township of Chester.
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