Pascoag Fire District Online

EARLY HISTORY
of the Pascoag Fire District

The Pascoag Fire District was chartered in May 1887 to protect residents from the threats of fire. The District collected taxes of a few cents per year, and these taxes were used for the procurement of land and apparatus to provide water for the extinguishment of fire; to provide water and lighting services to the district; and to pay the police force to protect taxpayers from the threats of fire and disturbance of the peace. The District installed water systems in area mills, and mill workers were required to use this equipment to extinguish fires in and around the mills when necessary.

On November 10, 1903, a group of men gathered at the Voting Booth in downtown Pascoag and voted to form the District's first team of firefighters, known as the Pascoag Number One Fire Company. Clovis Rounds was appointed as the Fire Chief in charge of all operations; and on November 19, 1903 he assigned the following positions:

Nozzlemen	Hydrantmen	Wrenchmen	Linemen
Cyrus Dominick	Michael Bressette	Francis Ducharme	William Legg
Fred Randall	William Monahan	Frank Paine	William Gibney
Napoleon Brigham	Henry Disautell	William Lee	Clarence Esten
Harris Gendren	Paul Desourdy	Peter Fox	Joseph Lariviere
Joseph Jarvis			Joseph Lynch
Walter Verity			Charles Hoey
William Brearley			John Harrison
Joseph Gendren			Michael Sicord
			James Ducharme
			Patrick Black
			William Fox
			Bernard Keefe
			Amie Crepeau
			Thomas Gilligan

At this time, the District purchased 1,000 feet of hose, and six lanterns for use at nighttime alarms.

On February 6, 1904, The Pascoag Number One Fire Company fought its first fire at Sheldon's Box Shop.

At the Company's regular meeting on March 30, 1904, the Company voted to change its name to Pascoag Hose Company Number One.

In June of 1904, the Company asked the Fire Wardens Harry Waterhouse, William Prendergast, and Waldo Hopkins for six coats, six pairs of boots, and sixteen hats.

On December 24, 1904, the first alarm transmitted through a Fire Alarm box was received. In order to use these boxes, a citizen had to go to the nearest house or mill office to get the key. The fire alarm rang a large bell located on the hill between Sayles Avenue and Church Street that stood fifty feet high. When an alarm was pulled, an arm with a large hammer on the end of it would swing over and hit the bell a certain number of times, representing each digit of the alarm box number. After the fire whistle was installed later, the bell was moved to the rear of the Howard Avenue Fire Station.

On January 18, 1905, a group of men from the Bridgeton section of Pascoag met at the office of Hopkins Machine works, Inc., in downtown Pascoag, and formed a new fire company, known as Pascoag Hose Company Number Two. Chief Rounds was present at this meeting and ordered that Hose Company #2 respond to boxes 48, 64, and 72 on the first alarm, and to all other boxes on the second alarm.

Hose Company #2 held its meetings in various places around the area, such as Hopkins' Office and Buxton's Greenhouse. The hose reel was first kept in Hopkins' barn, then moved to Inman's barn, then the barn next to the Bridgeton store. After a while, a building next to the Methodist church, known as Tom Donahue's building, was used as a station and clubhouse. At that time the company had just the hose reel and a few extinguishers and lanterns.

In May 1905, Hose Company #2 responded to its first call at Corrigan's Barn on Church Street. Both companies were present at this fire, and each company was on separate sides of the barn. Firefighters were battling the fire from both sides and drenching each other in the process, and it was recalled that the Pascoag men got angry at the Bridgeton men and threatened to fight each other right in front of the barn.

In October 1914, Bridgeton had its first meeting at its new fire station, located on the site of the current Howard Avenue Fire Station parking lot. At this time they acquired a chemical cart and a ladder wagon all hand drawn.

In 1921, Hose Company #1 acquired a Mack truck, the Fire District's first motorized piece of fire apparatus.

On November 2, 1921, Hose Company #2 purchased a four-wheel hook and ladder.

In 1924, Hose Company #2 acquired a Dodge pumper. After this purchase, the Pascoag Fire District retired its hand-drawn apparatus.

Years passed, fires were fought, and new equipment was purchased. In April 2001, the Fire District separated into two divisions: the Pascoag Fire District and the Pascoag Utility District. Before this time, the electric and water departments were part of the Fire District.