Our History

Compiled by Joseph O. Malley

Firefighting at our town′s beginnings did not include motorized apparatus such as aerial ladders′ pumpers and rescue vehicles. Emergency medical technicians were unheard of. If any of Manchester Fire Department′s founding members had been told that one day fire equipment would be propelled by engines rather than horse or manpower, they would have scratched their heads, lowered their brows and asked to smell your breath. Early records show that′ because buildings were built primarily of wood, citizens feared fire. Tradesmen could use charcoal or coal only during day-1ight. In 1808, a by-law to protect inhabitants from fire forbade bonfires or the burning of any combustibles out-doors day or night. The fine for violation of this by-law was $300, an extremely severe penalty in those days.

Fire prevention was a major concern during the early years. Chimneys had to be cleaned when it was raining or snowing and between sunrise and twelve noon. Other precautions were also taken. Defective chimneys were inspected by the selectmen, funnels or stovepipes could not be run through a building unless surrounded by brickwork. Boat builders could not bum any boards or planks unless in the opinion of the selectmen the burning was done in a safe place. Manchester was well aware of the danger of fire and of methods to protect buildings from fire.

A fire brigade of volunteers serving without remuneration proved effective. Residents had leather buckets in their homes. When called to duty they reported to the nearest water supply a line was formed and water was passed in relays to the fire. A ladder and sail company was formed. Ladders were stored in different areas of the town in what were called “1adder boxes.” When a fire broke out, a ladder sail group responded′ placed a great sail cloth against the adjoining building and kept the sail cloth soaked to prevent the fire from spreading from building to building.

On March 17, 1828, the town voted to purchase an engine and twelve buckets. This marked the beginning of the Manchester Fire Department. The engine called the “Eagle” was a box placed on wheels into which the water was poured from the leather buckets. A paddle wheel inside the box was turned with a crank by volunteers. The water was churned with force through the tank and out through a small enclosure at the end of the handtub where a small hose was attached. As the water came out of the end of the hose, the volunteers would catch the water in the buckets and throw it on the blaze. This was the first official fire company in town to extinguish fires.

In 1832 the “torrent” handtub, manufactured by Col Eben Tappan, a resident of the community, was given to the town, This piece of equipment first was loaned to the town by Mr. Tappan, but the citizens, being independent spirits, decided to add this new and powerful engine to the permanent force. On March 7, 1836, they voted to purchase the “Torrent” and on March 17, 1836, it was bought.

In 1836, Engine Company #2 was formed and the rank of Captain was used for the first time. On April 2, 1838, Company 2 was disbanded. A new company formed on April 4, 1838, and disbanded on April 4, 1839. Finally on April 24, 1839, another company formed and steady progress was made from then on. In 1846, another important advance was made when “Sails” was purchased and a “Sails Company” formed. In 1852 the town voted to purchase a carriage for sails and ladders. After a useful life of 30 years this apparatus was condemned and a new one purchased. The second cart was in service until June, 1889 when it was replaced by an up-to-date horse-drawn hook-and-ladder.

The first so-called self-acting engine was purchased in 1872 and was used until June 1894, when water was installed in the town. This piece of equipment as sold to a volunteer association in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The steamer “Seaside” was purchased in 1885. When a call for a fire was received horses from Smith Express Company pulled the ′′Seaside”to the fire. A horse-drawn ladder truck was believed to have been obtained in 1892 and the Samuel Knight Coal Company provided horses to pull it. After the installation of the town water system, Tom and Jerry, the first two horses owned by the town were kept at the station to pull the Seaside steamer. Horses from the Highway Department were then used to pull the ladder truck. In 1894 a committee was formed to purchase rubber coats for the firemen.

In 1910 Manchester purchased its first piece of motorized equipment, a chemical and hose wagon. At the scene of a fire, soda and acid were mixed, poured into a tank of water on the truck and then pumped onto the fire. This piece of equipment is believed to be the first piece of motorized fire apparatus in Essex County.

ln 1925 the newly purchased Seagrave pumper was capable of pumping 750 gallons of water per minute. In 1926 the motorized Larrabee ladder truck replaced horse-drawn equipment. The Maxim pumper, purchased in 1929, had the capability of pumping 600 gallons of water per minute.

The first motorized forest fire truck was purchased in 1938. Previous to 1938 any serious woods fire would have been extinguished by the horse-drawn spraying rig which was actually intended for spraying the town′s shade trees.

An aerial ladder truck purchased in 1941 could extend to 65 feet. It was fully hydraulic and could be operated by one man. A Seagrave 750-gallon-per-minute pumper was purchased in1952 to replace the 1925 Seagrave pumper. In 1962 the present Engine #2 replaced the 1929 Maxim pumper. In 1965 the present Engine #3 replaced the 1938 forest fire truck. In 1974 a new aerial ladder truck replaced the 1941 ladder truck. a 1250-gallon-per-minute Peter Pirich replaced the 1952 truck in 1978. In 1990 a 1250-gallon-per-minute pumper was added to the department.

These pieces of fire equipment gave Manchester an outstanding fire insurance rating compared to towns of similar sized.

Prior to 1935, an ambulance was housed at Standley′s Garage, now owned by Noman A. Hersey, a retired call firefighter. The call for an ambulance would be answered by an employee of Standley′s and a police officer. Since 1935, the ambulance has been housed at the Fire Station with a firefighter and a police officer responding to emergency calls. In 1974, when better medical care for a patient was required, the Emergency Medical Technician law was passed by the Massachusetts legislature. This law requires each of the responding personnel to meet established standards of professional emergency care. This professional training takes many hours of studying and rehearsal for fire fighters and police officers and requires recertification every two years to update them in new skills and practices.

At first a church bell was sounded as a signal for a fire. Later the steam whistle at Dodge’s Mill on Desmond Avenue was used as a fire alert.

The present fire alarm was first used in August 1909. The Manchester Cricket on May 25, 1925, reported that the Fire Department was asked to refrain from sounding the noon test on Sundays.

In 1987 the members of the department were issued radio pagers and the whistle was silenced, except for a second-alarm fire or a special call.

For many years the department was headed by a Board of Fire Engineers composed of three members. At the town meeting in May 1932, the town voted to place one man in charge of the Fire Department. The first chief under the new system was Manuel S. Miguel, who had been chief for the six years prior to instilling the new system.

The present roster of the department consists of one chief, one captain′ eight permanent fire fighters, and twenty call firefighters.

The first permanent fire fighter, hired in 1908, was believed to be Charles Chadwick. He worked 144 hours a week over six days. On his day off, a fire fighter from Gloucester or Beverly filled his duty slot. Gradually, the hours decreased to 132 hours per week and then down to 84 hours per week. By 1949 the working hours were 72 per week and by 1967, 56 hours per week. In 1984 a 48-hour workweek was instituted, and in 1985, 42 hours per week.

A new engine house, which cost $2,388.63, was built on the town common and was first occupied on September 14, 1885. On July 18, 1891, a special town meeting voted to build a new engine house on the old school lot on School Street. Philips-Killam of Beverly won the contract to build the facility for $9,525. On November 19, 1891, a special town meeting voted to furnish the new station with a heating system and a system for gas lights at a cost of $1,500. The building was accepted by the building committee and turned over to the Board of Selectmen on February 25, 1892. They in turn, turned it over to the Board of Fire Engineers.

On March 1, 1892, the Fire Department moved into the new Engine House. On April 24, 1893, the town voted to use the steamer house on the common for a police station. Also on this date, the fire engineers delivered the keys to the Steamer House to the Chief of police Josiah P. Carter.

A fire was discovered in the new Fire Station on September 28, 1893, by Officer Lendall. Damages were assessed at $65.00. In October 1893, the Board of Selectmen requested a meeting with the Board of Fire Engineers to go over the fire loss and causes. The fire cause was undetermined, but a very reliable source claimed a disgruntled card player set a fire underneath the stairway from the basement to the apparatus floor. On March 3, 1902, the selectmen made arrangements with Frank Rust to purchase land next to the Fire Station on School Street. In 1904, the Fire station was wired for electricity at the cost of $153. In the month of June 1912 or 1913 (this year is disputed) the town acquired half a lot next to the fire Station and moved the station to a new foundation twenty feet due north and built a driveway on each side of the station for better access for horse-drawn equipment and department operations. The front doors were altered in 1931 to bring the doors on each side of the middle bay even to accommodate future apparatus.

From 1944 to July 1948, many studies were conducted on the future needs of a fire station. The most noticeable was the removing of the upper tower structure in July 1948.

The US Amy moved into the third floor of the Fire Station in February 1942. The Fire Department assigned them a special call signal. When the Fire Department received a call for a fire, men dressed in Army clothes responded. The Civil Defense headquarters located on the second floor led to the formation of a Civil Defense Auxiliary Fire Department.

On March 18, 1974, a vote was taken to build a new fire station. This vote, which required a two thirds majority won by three votes. $410,000 was appropriated. Prior to this vote, similar articles were defeated due to opposition to suggested locations. On April 19, 1974, the Fire Department moved into the lower level of Town Hall occupying two rooms while the apparatus was housed temporarily in a building at the rear. While the department was in transition, the basement of the Post Office on Beach Street was used to store records and memorabilia. On June 5, 1975, the Fire Department moved into its new Fire Station on School Street.

The department has responded to several major fires over the years both within the town and in neighboring communities. On June 25, 1914, Manchester responded to the great Salem fire. This was the first time in the history of the department that a call for help was requested from another community The department also worked on two Chelsea conflagrations and the Lynn fires in the 1970 era. Woods fires in 1947 in the Prides Crossing section of Beverly and 1948 in West Gloucester showed the Manchester fire eaters how dangerous wildfire can be.

In 1957 Manchester fire fighters faced a nightmare. On April 21, they responded to the Crooked Lane area where they battled a stubborn woods fire for four days. The real nightmare began on May 4th when they went to Forest Road of the Highwood section of town to battle a woods fire for three days. On Tuesday May 7, at 11:05 am for some unknown reason and with unbelievable force, a formidable forest fire broke out. The fire covered some 2,500 acres. Help was summoned from forty communities. 3,000 fire fighters and volunteers manned the fire lines. Although many homes had to be evacuated, not one life was lost due to this fire. The fire at Manchester Marine on Ashland Avenue on September 13, 1989, is remembered as a large conflagration. Ten communities and the U.S. Coast Guard provided assistance.

This historical record of the Manchester Fire Department was compiled by Joseph O’Malley who was appointed a Call Firefighter in 1957, became a permanent Firefighter in 1960, was promoted to Captain in 1969, and was named Chief of Department in 1982. Chief O’Malley died on June 30, 2010.