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his year of 2007
marks the 94th Anniversary of the Melrose Fire
Company. Organized
on January 4, 1913 with 23 charter members, the Company met in
its formative years in the blacksmith shop owned by H.P. Sterns
in the building now occupied by SRM Motors.
Notable among the
charter members was William Diefendorf, a
Melrose
fireman for some 60 years until his death in 1973.
Over the years, he served in almost ever office of the
Fire Company including that of Chief.
It may be noted that in the early days the Chief was
elected by the Election Body.
 The
equipment initially used by the Company included hand
extinguishers, and an “engine”, consisting of a sixty gallon
chemical tank mounted on a two-wheel cart.
This cart was either drawn by hand or wheeled on a truck
and carried to the fire. Receptacles
for acid and soda were provided.
Apparently the rather primitive method and equipment was
surprisingly effective in extinguishing or at least controlling
a good number of potentially serious fires.
The first alarm was a large iron wheel-ring suspended
from a wooden frame and sounded by striking it with a small
maul.
Early in 1932, the
District voted to purchase new equipment and a plot of land on
which a fire house was erected.
A truck was bought and the chemical tank from the old
engine was installed together with water tanks and a pump.
The fire house was built on the purchased property and
was used for many years. Now
the old fire house is used for storage after being a home for
Scout Troop #80.
Following World
War II, a pumper was purchased from war surplus, and later in
1950 a tank truck was acquired.
This equipment served the Company until 1959 when a new
Howe Pumper was purchased by the District.
The apparatus now severing the dept. include a 1999
Spartan Rescue, 1999 Ford Brush Unit, 1998 Dodge Utility
(donated), 2006 Spartan Engine, 2005 Polaris ATV (purchased on
full grant money), 1998 Chevy Chief’s vehicle and boat.
Special emergency equipment includes: full set of Hurst
Jaws of Life, high and low pressure rescue air bags, Scott Air
Packs, portable pumps and ponds, specialized F.A.S.T. equipment,
rope rescue, Hazmat etc.
Melrose
is also home to the Town of
Schaghticoke SCBA
filling station.
 Equipment
and expansion activities of the Fire Company led to the
necessity of additional space.
As a result, a new and lager fire house was built in 1953
and enlarged in 1969, and again in 1992.
This building now not only houses the fire-fighting
equipment but has become the principal center of community
activity.
The growth and
development of the Melrose Fire Company from its modest
beginnings to the present modern organization, which includes
some 45 active members, has been the result of the efforts of
many hard-working, conscientious and civic-minded persons.
To these men and women the community of
Melrose
is ever grateful.
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