Claire Doll
MSMU Class of 2024
In the small town of Fairfield, among the landscape of the Catoctin Mountains and off of the borough’s main road, is the Fairfield Fire Company, with a beautifully rich history that has yet to be told. In October, the department celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Organized in 1921 the Fairfield Fire Company has been known all throughout history for its dedication to the community; among all the changes in technology, resources, and society in this past century, one core value of the fire company has remained standing, and that is the value of service to the Fairfield community.
Two members who have previously served in the fire company, Edward Hartzell, who joined in 1957 and was also once the company’s chief, and Charlie Deardorff, who joined in 1972, offered their rich insight on the history of the company.
Deardorff collected and organized all the minute books from past meetings dating back to 1922. The first ever logged minutes of a fire company meeting start in May of 1922. In 1923, the school board granted permission for the fire company to use the cellar of the schoolhouse, where the members would begin meeting until the location on Centennial Avenue (now known as Centennial Street), was purchased for $900.
In the late 1940’s, the firehouse was moved to the present-day location on Steelman Street. Meetings would be held to pass bylaws, plan social events, and discuss finances. Members would vote on decisions using a method called blackballing; in this form of secret ballot, if a member voted with a white ball it indicated "yes," while a black ball represented "no." One of the original ballot boxes is kept showcased at the fire company today.
The company’s very first vehicle was a man-pulled chemical cart, used around 1921 to travel around the town and respond to emergencies. "I don’t know of any company that had a chemical wagon…that was really on the top end of firefighting at the time," says Chief Jacobs. The company also had the only compressed air foam engine in the county. In March 1926, there was a motion to order a LaFrance Brockway Chemical Fire Fighting apparatus; a first payment of $1,350 was spent on this vehicle, followed by a final payment of $1,595 to LaFrance Co.
Several members of the company were soon appointed to operate the truck, working as operators of tanks, nozzles, ladders, chemicals, and brackets. In September of 1928, the committee reported to buy a Chevrolet Chassis for $567. Members took equipment off of the Brockway and put it on the Chevrolet, installing the pump and placing chemical tanks on the new vehicle. Today, the restored 1928 Fairfield Fire Engine is on display at the fire company’s hall.
Along with the change in transportation technology is the change in how the Fairfield community was notified and had responded to fire emergencies in town. Hanging in front of the fire department today is a large, red, metal ring that was once the rim off an old locomotive. Deardorff says that this ring was used as a gong to alarm citizens of nearby fires. There were three in Fairfield– one located on Water Street, on Main Street, and on the eastern end of town. It is stated in the fire company’s minute book that in May of 1923, the owner of Fairfield’s hardware store, Reindollar, was instructed to order three 8-pound hammers to hit the gong alarm. S.L. Allison, owner of Fairfield’s funeral home at the time, was told to go to the mountain and make hickory handles for these hammers. Deardorff presumes that the sound of the hammer hitting the gong could be heard from a mile away, notifying members of the fire company of an emergency.
The history of alarming citizens of fire continues with the story of the Kane Sisters. Around the late 40’s, the sister’s contributed to alarming citizens of a fire. The sisters lived with their parents just next to the firehouse. Before there were radios in the firetrucks, the Kane sisters– Donna Weikert, Lorraine Welcomer, and Margaret Orner – would receive the call of a fire, flip a switch in their dining room that turned the sirens on, record where the fire was on a chalkboard, and get ahold of one of their neighbors or a nearby farmer to call for a dispatcher in Gettysburg, demonstrating how the company would respond to emergencies in the absence of technology.
One thing that Chief Jacobs has noticed in his time serving with the compnay is the drastic change in technology as society advances. Along with the pager systems, the fire company now uses an app to ensure instant notification of fires. However, one thing remains the same: the purpose of these alarm systems. Whether it is the ringing of a gong which echoes through the town or the developed, instant technology of pagers and software, the company holds true to the purpose of ensuring safety in the Fairfield community.
The environmental cause of fires has greatly changed, and with it, the technology that Fairfield has used. The main types of fires earlier in the century were wood and paper-caused, while now, the fire company is seeing more and more fires generated by petroleum-based products. Because of this increase in chemically caused fires, the cancer rate of firefighters has increased greatly as well. This change in environment is reflected in the gear of firefighters. In the 70’s and even through the 80’s, Fairfield firefighters would wear jackets that hooked together and boots that would pull up, while today, the gear is more substantial and protective. Additionally, the air packs that the fire company uses now are lighter and more effective than before.
Located in the company’s historical room is the first self-contained breathing apparatus, which was a canister that provided oxygen for firefighters to breathe into. Firefighters would keep this box on top of the firetruck and would have to crawl up to retrieve their breathing tanks. This then developed into a steel-cylindered air pack, and now, the fire company has composite cylinders, which are half the weight as they were before and are strapped in the seats, easily accessible to firefighters in event of an emergency.
Current Fairfield community member Bill Newman, who will be 94 on Christmas 2021, can recall his early years of volunteering with the fire company, including the technology used to fight the certain type of fire. When recounting his experience of fighting a mountain fire in Iron Springs, Newman says, "There was fire the whole way around us. We carried Indian tanks, and they were very heavy." Newman, along with other community members, would serve with the fire company. Ensuring the safety of firefighters has always been important to the Fairfield Fire Company. Chief Jacobs says, "You can get deep into a fire and don’t realize how bad it is until you’re there." The gear today is updated and assures that the volunteers are protected when fighting fires.
Much has changed over the past century, especially with regard to the town of Fairfield, but the company would not be where it is today without the continuous support of community members. In the beginning of the company’s history, the fire company was the social club of the area. "Members of the fire company were, at the time, the owners of businesses here in Fairfield," says Deardorff, who recorded information from the minute books. Prominent citizens of Fairfield were also members and offered their services to the company. For example, current member of Fairfield Bill Newman was owner of the local grocery store with his brothers in the early years of the fire company.
The community would also demonstrate their support in the fire company by fundraising. In efforts to raise money, the fire department would put on plays, sponsor musical group performances, and hold the annual 4th of July carnival, which was the event of the year. "The carnival was big – especially in the beginning," said Newman.
In fact, people would come to Fairfield just for the fire company’s festivals. It is stated in the minute books dating back to May 1933 that "the various committees of the annual carnivals are shown to accent the importance of the carnivals to support the fire company as well as the entertainment and involvement of the community." Committees included dinner, finances, purchasing, bingo, and so on, and these groups would meet to plan the iconic carnival. In fact, on July 18th, 1933, it was reported that the carnival made a gross profit of $1,662, proving how important it was to the fire company and the town of Fairfield.
In an interview with the Kane sisters, Donna Weikert recalls a game at the carnival where she would throw hoops over canes to win a prize, a game that she and her sisters would help run. Bill Newman also recalls the carnivals, both helping out at and attending them. There was always something going on at the firehouse, especially in the 20’s and 30’s, where dances and festivals served as general entertainment.
These fundraising events were necessary to support the volunteers who served, and they encompassed the core values of not only the fire company, but also the town of Fairfield itself. "The Fairfield community has responded and supported the fire company over the years," Deardorff says. Hartzell also adds, "One thing that hasn’t changed about the fire company is bingo. We started out with it, and we still have it today." Bingo is now held monthly in the fire hall.
Today, Chief Jacobs reflects on the community involvement of the fire company, noting that the social aspect has decreased since he joined in 1996, but the fundraising efforts are still very present. The Fairfield Fire Company holds weekly bingo games, gun-drawings, and even drive-thru dinners that were especially prominent during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The fundraisers are just as important as the firefighting," says Jacobs when reflecting on the significance of community involvement in supporting the company.
The most important thing, however, is to acknowledge the rich history of volunteers that have served Fairfield and continue to serve today. Teamwork is especially significant as well, and it remains as a very crucial value of the company. Fairfield often relies on surrounding fire departments to respond to larger emergencies. "Years ago, the company would fight their own fires and wouldn’t call for any help. Now, everyone asks, ‘why are there ten firetrucks coming to a little fire?’"
Jacobs acknowledges the importance of teamwork when fighting a fire, no matter how seemingly small the emergency is. The surrounding fire departments of Emmitsburg, Gettysburg, Fountaindale, and Greenmount work together with Fairfield as a team to respond to major emergencies if needed. "We’ve done so much better throughout the years, and we always come up with a plan to take care of things," he says.
Jacobs emphasizes the importance of supporting family members of volunteers in the fire department. Many do not understand the sacrifices that are involved when joining the company. "People need to realize that if the volunteer system were to leave, they’d have a tremendous cost to bear." The purpose of the company. "It’s not for glory, it’s not for your name in the paper… it’s for the community." The volunteers do not work on shift system, but rather they are always on call, always prepared for an emergency, always placing the community of Fairfield first.
Much has changed within the past century, but it is always important to reflect on the past, especially for the beautiful history of the Fairfield Fire Company, which is founded on values of dedication, commitment, and willingness to serve. On preserving the history of any organization, in order to look forward, one must have a solid understanding of the past. In the small town of Fairfield, this notion is no different.
Jacobs hopes to reflect on the past even more and says that the fire company is looking for old stories and pictures of old apparatus and the firehouse on Steelman Street. "The story is important to tell," he says. "You have to know where you came from to know where you’re going."
