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Photos provided by Lt. Jeff Camara (ret.) and Paul Lestage

The Early Years

In 1772, the first recorded piece of firefighting apparatus was purchased and placed in service in the city of New Bedford, called Independence No. 1, and located in the center of what was then known as Bedford Village.  As this first fire service began to grow, the New Bedford Fire Society was formed in 1807, to create rules and regulations for the volunteer firefighters at the time.

Twenty-seven years later, on January 30, 1834, an ordinance was signed officially organizing the New Bedford Fire Department as a paid fire service within the city of New Bedford.  At that time, the department consisted of six engine companies and one ladder company:

Independence No. 1
Citizen No. 2
Engine No. 3
Phoenix No. 4
Columbian No. 5
Mechanic No. 6
Pioneer Hook and Ladder No. 1

The 1830's also saw the creation of Philadelphia No. 7 and Young America No. 8, originally known as Novelty No. 8.  The apparatus of the time were elaborately decorated horse-drawn carriages with steam pumps.  Earlier versions consisted of hand-pumped appliances, operated by shear man-power.  Firefighters of the time often participated in "musters," which were friendly contests between fire companies to compete for the pride an honor of being the "best" company.  It was also a chance for the members to show off their fire engines and their firefighting skills.  These musters often included events such as racing fire engines to see who was faster, as well as which company could throw water the furthest with their pumps.

By 1845, the New Bedford Fire Department now consisted of ten engine companies and one ladder company, with the additions of Hancock No. 9 and Franklin No. 10.  The late 1800's would see the creation of Hook and Ladder No. 2, as well as Hose No. 1 and Hose No. 2.

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Turn of the Century

Shortly after the turn of the century, the department was completely motorized and consisted of nine engine companies, four ladder companies, and three hose companies operating from ten fire stations throughout the city.  Hose companies were a carry-over from the days of horse-drawn steam engines.  At the time, engine companies carried only large hose lines used to supply the engines with water from whatever the source might have been.  The hose companies supplied the engine companies with smaller hose lines used to carry the water to the scene of a fire.

In the early 1900s, the New Bedford firefighting fleet consisted of the following apparatus:

Engine 1 Station 5
Engine 2 Station 2
Engine 3 Station 3
Engine 4 Station 4
Engine 6 Station 6
Engine 7 Station 7
Engine 9 Station 9
Engine 10 Station 10
   
Ladder 1 Station 2
Ladder 2 Station 10
Ladder 3 Station 6
Ladder 4 Station 8
Truck 5 Station 3
   
Hose 1 Station 2
Hose 2 Station 8
Hose 4 Station 11

(Hose 2 would later become Engine 8.  Hose 4 would later become Engine 11.  Truck 5 was a type of truck called a "City Service Truck."  It did not have an aerial ladder but carried a full compliment of ground ladders only.)

Total Apparatus: 16

Total Stations: 10

 

A new type of fire apparatus was put into service in 1945, called a fog truck, and was designated as Fog Co. #1, to replace Hose Co. #1. It was later re-designated  Engine 1 and the old Engine 1 housed at the old Station 5 on County and Hillman was reassigned to the new Station 5 on Acushnet Avenue near Braley Road and re-designated Engine 5.  Throughout the 1950s, the department purchased a large amount of Maxim fire engines that were manufactured locally by Maxim Fire Apparatus in Middleboro, MA.  From the late 1940s into the 1970s, the NBFD apparatus fleet was mix of Maxim engines, as well as Seagrave, Maxim, and Mack aerial ladder trucks.

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1970 ~ 1999

 

Beginning in the 1970s, the size of the New Bedford Fire Department was reduced as several companies were cut from the budget and decommissioned.  Engine Company 10 was disbanded in 1972, followed by Engine Company 2 in 1976.  Three years later, in the late winter of 1979, Stations 4 and 10 were closed.  At that time, Engine Company 4 was decommissioned and Ladder Company 2 was transferred to Station 9, only to be disbanded in 1981.  Fire Station 3 was closed a short time later in 1991, and Engine Company 3 was disbanded.  Also in the 1970s, an experiment was conducted on the visibility of fire apparatus at night.  As a result, the standard color of the fire apparatus in New Bedford changed from traditional red to a "more visible" lime green color.  This concept was abandoned by 1990 and all apparatus purchased after 1988 were painted traditional fire engine red.  Today, the NBFD apparatus fleet sports an updated, two-tone color scheme featuring a white roof on top of a red body.  With advances in warning light technology and reflective striping, modern fire apparatus of the late 21st century no longer needed to be painted in "high visibility" color schemes.

 

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2000 ~ Present:  Turn of the Millennium

 

Rescue Company 1 was organized in 1995 as a specialized "Special Hazards" unit and was stationed in Engine 3's former quarters at the corner of Reed and Kempton Streets.  Rescue 1 carried technical rescue equipment and was equipped to handle hazardous materials incidents.  It also carried a mobile cascade system, which allowed firefighter's oxygen tanks to be refilled at the scene of a fire.  In 2002, Rescue 1 was decommissioned and Station 3 was closed once again.

 

In March, 2003, Engine Company 8 was cut from the budget and decommissioned.  Shortly thereafter, Engine Company 5 and Ladder Company 4 were re-designated as Quint 5 and Quint 4, respectively.  The Quint concept allowed a company to operate both as an engine company and a ladder company.  The term "Quint" by definition refers to the five functions that the truck can provide:  pump, water, hose, aerial ladder, and a full compliment of ground ladders.

 

Below are photos from the decommissioning of Engine Co. 8 on March 2, 2003.  (Engine 8 was currently running with a reserve truck, Engine 27.)

 

 

In an unprecedented turn of events, Engine Company 8 made history in July of 2006, when it was officially re-commissioned becoming the first ever New Bedford fire company to be brought back into service after being cut from the budget.  As a result, Quint 4 and Quint 5 returned to their original designations of Ladder 4 and Engine 5, respectively, and no longer operate in the "Quint" capacity.  Today, there are seven engine companies and three ladder companies throughout the city of New Bedford, commanded by two District Chiefs.

 

Below are photos that reflect the current state of the New Bedford Fire Department apparatus fleet.

 

Current Apparatus and Locations

 

Engine 1 Station 2
Engine 5 Station 5
Engine 6 Station 6
Engine 7 Station 7
Engine 8 Station 8
Engine 9 Station 9
Engine 11 Station 11
   
Ladder 1 Station 2
Ladder 3 Station 6
Ladder 4 Station 8

 

Total Apparatus: 10

Total Stations: 7

 

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A History of Firehouses in the City of New Bedford

 

At one time, there were as many as 12 active fire stations in the city of New Bedford.  Many of the original stations have since been torn down either to be replaced or to make way for new construction.  Today, there are actually 13 fire stations in New Bedford, of which, only 7 are active stations.  The other 6 are no longer fire stations, and most of them are either vacant or privately owned.

 

The map below was taken from the Standard on March 23, 1924.  It pictures the locations of all fire stations in New Bedford at that time, as well as locations for two proposed new fire stations--one at Tarkiln Hill Road and Ashley Boulevard (where the 'new' Station 9 stands today) as well as at Acushnet Avenue and Phillips Road.  (This is where the original location was to be for the far north end fire station.  In reality, that station would be built in 1954 about one mile north of that location on Acushnet Avenue.)

 

 


Fire Station 1

 

Fire Station 1 was located at 1558 Purchase Street, at the foot of Franklin Street.  It was built in the mid to late 1800s and originally housed Onward No. 1.  In 1917, Onward 1 was disbanded when a new motorized Ahrens Fox fire engine was purchased to create a new company at the new central fire station (currently Station 2).  Two years later in 1919, the former Station 1 officially became the New Bedford Fire Department Repair Shop.  The building operated in this capacity until around 2003 when the NBFD repair facilities were moved to their current location at 311 Liberty Street at the city yard.  Today, the old Station 1 remains vacant and in disrepair.  (The hose tower on the station was apparently struck by lightning long ago, and as a result was taken down.)

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Fire Station 2

 

Fire Station 2 was originally located at the northwestern corner of Purchase Street and Mechanics Lane.  Built in the 1800s, the old ivy covered Station 2 was replaced in 1917 by the new Central Fire Station, which stands proudly today at 868 Pleasant Street.  The new three-story red brick firehouse on Pleasant Street was much larger and was home to the first motorized apparatus in the New Bedford Fire Department.  Today, the current Station 2 is still the Central Fire Station for the NBFD.  The former central station was torn down in 1969.

 

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Former Quarters of Ladder Co. #2
(This station no longer exists)

 

Ladder Co. 2 and Hose Co. 2 were housed in this fire station located near Weld's Square that was built around 1888.  This building also housed a New Bedford Police station at the time.  It is not known when this station was closed.  The building no longer exists today.

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Fire Station 3

 

Built in 1904, Station 3 is located at the corner of Kempton and Reed Streets in the far west end of the city, near Buttonwood Park.  It was once home to Engine Co. 3, which was disbanded in 1991.  From 1991 until 1995, this station remained largely unused.  It temporarily housed the Bureau of Fire Prevention.  In 1995, Station 3 was reopened and became home to Rescue Co. 1 until it was disbanded in 2002.  Today, the building is used by the New Bedford Emergency Management Agency as well as the New Bedford Animal Control.

 

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Fire Station 4

 

Station 4 was built in 1867, and shortly before its closure in 1979 was one of the oldest active fire stations in Massachusetts.  Located at the corner of South Sixth and Bedford Streets, today Station 4 serves as the New Bedford Fire Museum, which remains an outstanding tribute to the history and tradition of the New Bedford Fire Department.  Items on display in the museum include the original Cornelius Howland steam engine that operated from Station 4.  There are also two antique Ahrens Fox motorized fire engines housed here that are still in good working order and are often used in parades.

 

 

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Fire Station 5

 

The former Fire Station 5, located at the corner of County and Hillman Streets, was built around 1893 during the same time period as Station 7 was built.  (Hence the similarities in their construction).  Engine Co. 1 was assigned here until 1954 when it was reassigned to the new Station 5 in Sassaquin, and was re-designated as Engine Co. 5.  When the new station opened, the former Station 5 at County and Hillman was closed, but housed the Civil Defense Agency for a number of years until the 1990s.  Today, the former Station 5 remains vacant and in extreme disrepair.

 

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Fire Station 6

 

Fire Station 6 was built in 1882, located at the corner of Purchase and Potomska Streets in the south end.  The building remained largely the same for many years until 2000, when an additional apparatus bay was constructed to accommodate a new, modern apparatus for Ladder 3 which was too big for the existing apparatus bays.  Today, Station 6 is the oldest active fire station in the city of New Bedford, and is perhaps one of the oldest firehouses in the state of Massachusetts.

 

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Fire Station 7

 

Built in 1889, Station 7 is located in the west end of New Bedford at the corner of Durfee and Cottage Streets, within a short distance from New Bedford High School.  This station was built a few years before the old Station 5 located at County and Hillman Streets.  As such, they closely resembled each other in their construction styles, featuring a half-circle shaped 'desk room' which was the first room one entered upon setting foot in the station.  Over the years, the interior of Station 7 had fallen into disrepair.  However, in 2006, the City of New Bedford began renovating the inside of the station to create better living conditions for the firefighters.  Station 7 remains one of the busiest firehouses in New Bedford to this day.

 

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Fire Station 8

 

Located at 1599 Acushnet Avenue on the corner of Davis Street, Fire Station 8 was built in 1893.  The building originally had three apparatus bays, two facing to the Acushnet Ave. side, and one facing the Davis Street side.  It is rumored that this building was the first and only station in New Bedford to feature a "drive-through" apparatus bay, that returning apparatus would drive into the building through the Davis Street bay and return to their respective bays facing Acushnet Ave.   Sometime in the 1970s, the arch above the southern apparatus bay door was removed to allow larger apparatus to be used for Ladder 4.  During 2004, a fourth apparatus bay was constructed at the rear of Station 8 to accommodate a new truck for Ladder 4, which was too large for the existing bays.  This new bay also faces the Davis Street side.

 

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Fire Station 9

 

The original Station 9 was located at 2240 Acushnet Avenue, near Lund's Corner.  It was, for many years, the northernmost fire station in the city.  In 1934, however, the station became too small and a new station was constructed just west of the original location at the corner of Tarkiln Hill Road and Ashley Boulevard, where Station 9 stands today.  The new building was the first station built to accommodate motorized fire apparatus.  Today, the former Station 9 still stands at its original location, however it is no longer a fire station.  It is privately owned and is operated by the People's Christian Church of New Bedford.

 

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Fire Station 10

 

Station 10 is perhaps the most visible station in the City of New Bedford, though most never realize it.  Located at 2071 Purchase Street, at the foot of Cedar Grove Street almost directly underneath the Route 195 bridge, Station 10 was built around 1900.  Perhaps the most prominent feature of Station 10 was the 6-story training tower built adjacent to the station.  What is today known as "Old Glory Tower," this tower can be clearly seen as motorists pass over the Route 195 bridge.  A new American Flag flies atop this tower every month to honor past military veterans.

 

Once home to Engine Co. 10, when Ladder Co. 2's former quarters near Weld's Square (see above) was closed down, Ladder 2 transferred to Station 10, where it remained until 1979, when the station was closed.  In 1991, the building was sold to a private party.  Today, the old Station 10 is vacant.

 


 

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Fire Station 11

Located at 754 Brock Ave., Station 11 was built in 1908 at the corner of Brock Avenue and Mott Streets.  It is home to Engine Co. 11, which was originally organized as Oregon No. 11, which was later re-designated as Hose Co. 4, only to be changed back to Engine Co. 11.

 

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The History of the Maltese Cross

The badge of a firefighter is the Maltese Cross.  This cross was a symbol of protection and a badge of honor.  Its story is hundreds of years old.

When a courageous band of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple but horrible device of war, it wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracen's weapon was fire.

As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths.

Thus, these men became the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each hero a badge of honor - an eight-pointed cross similar to the one firefighters wear today.  Each point of the cross represented a heroic trait of the Knights of St. John; Gallantry, Sympathy, Tact, Observation, Explicitness, Dexterity, Loyalty, and Perseverance.  Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea named Malta, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.

The Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a firefighter's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.

(information courtesy of http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/history/maltese_cross.shtml )

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