History of Holmdel Fire Department
In the spring of 1917, a group of concerned citizens met in Mechanics Hall on Main Street to form the first fire company in Holmdel. John W. Ely acted as temporary president. It was a time when use of horse-drawn and steam powered trucks was waning. Neighboring towns were forming fire companies and purchasing motorized fire trucks. Seeing the need to modernize, this Holmdel group formded committees to investigate the cost of a chemical truck and to find a suitable site for the firehouse. They drew up by-laws and sought official recognition from Holmdel Township Committee. The Holmdel Fire Company was officially established March 10, 1917 with 37 charter members.
Other original officers included John S. Holmes as Vice-president, John L. Ely as Secretary, Joseph Holmes as Treasurer, Charles S. Ely as Financial Secretary, John W. Ely as Foreman, Charles S. Ely and Tunis Sickles as Assistant Foreman. Also attending that first meeting were Garret Longstreet, Bronson Butler, George Jones and Alex L. McClees.
Chriney Holmes offered the group a 25-year land lease at no charge for them to build a new firehouse but they declined his offer. That June, the fire company paid $1500 to Mrs. William H. Johnson for a building and lot on Main Street. She had inherited it from her father, Captain John Henry Heyer. The American Mechanics Lodge held meetings on the second floor of the building; the first floor was used as a pool room but was then vacant. In the meantime, cash contributions continued to accumulate.
On October 16, 1917, the fire company ordered their first fire truck, a 1918 Kissel Chemical Truck.
At that time Mack Truck was the biggest producer of fire trucks, but the Kissel Motor Car Company of Hartford, Wisconsin, offered trucks in 1.5, 2, 3, 4, or 5 ton capacity.
Kissel also built automobiles, hearses, taxicabs, utility and military trucks and was backlogged with orders.
Deliveries were delayed.
Holmdel's Kissel truck had no windshield and carried a brass bell.
The Holmdel Fire Company used their new truck for the first time for a fire at William Beaumont's home on the cold Thanksgiving night, November 25, 1920. Heat from a lamp placed on the mantel ignited the wallpaper. Beaumont tried to douse the flames in vain then made the call for help. The fire company responded rapidly in their new truck, but the blaze had made too much headway. Unfortunately, the Beaumont home and contents, valued at $3,000, were completely destroyed.
In 1925, the Holmdel Fire Company reorganized. The company had fallen into a bit of apathy and new officers hoped to create some renewed activity. On April 17, 1925, members elected Harold Holmes as President, Russell Bray as Vice President, Alex McClees as Treasurer, Charles S. Ely as Secretary, Edward R. Heyer as Chief, and Harold Holmes and Jacob Jeffrey as Assistant Chiefs. Newly elected President Holmes immediately changed the meeting night from Wednesdays to Thursdays, to accommodate the young unmarried members of the fire company, who usually went calling on their girls on Wednesday nights.
On February 27, 1929, eighteen members met before Attorney Edward W. Wise and signed the Certificate of Incorporation. The object of the association was to protect life and property from fire. The name of the association was "Holmdel Fire Company No. 1." The period of time for the association was fifty years. Only 4 of the 18 were original members.
On September 20, 1929, members Joseph H. Holmes, Bronson P. Butler, Joseph Kinhaufer and William S. Pitcher published a Notice of Intent to incorporate as "Holmdel Fire Company No. 1" in pursuance of an Act in the Incorporation of Fire Companies in the Statutes of New Jersey.
In 1931, they purchased a GMC Truck with Hale Pump for $4943. New truck committee members William Pitcher, Harold Holmes, Fred Nobel and Robert R. Voorhees visited the Hale Company factory in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. The truck was used for more than 20 years until it became obsolete and had to be replaced.
In February 1954, the Holmdel Fire Company started a drive for a new truck. The Ladies Auxiliary donated $500 to get the campaign started. In five months Harry Pitcher, Fire Company President and Chairman of the fund raising campaign, raised over $11,000, including a generous $3,000 donation from Holmdel Township. The fire company took delivery of the new GMC Pumper Truck on Saturday, July 17, 1954.
In 2009, Holmdel Township has two fire companies, Holmdel Fire Company No. 1, and Holmdel Fire and Rescue Company No. 2. Each company is composed of volunteers and headed by a chief. For the fire department, the township is split into two sections with the NJ Garden State Parkway being the dividing line. HFC No. 1 is responsible for south of the GSP and HF&RC No. 2 is responsible for area north of the parkway.
In 2007, the Monmouth County Voice Magazine published more about the history of the Holmdel Fire Department.
If you have information or pictures to add to the history of the Holmdel Fire Department please contact the Holmdel Historical Society.