|
In November of 1922, the Village Council decided to add the two cylinder Champion Chemical Fire Engine to their current fire fighting equipment, namely "Old Invincible".
At the May 6, 1936 Village Council meeting, Reeve Walter Taber and Councillors Cliff Hartley and Elmer Baldwin formed a delegation to look into the matter of purchasing a fire engine and related equipment. Next month Council as a whole, made a survey of the Village to locate suitable areas for additional fire tanks. At a special Council meeting on July 16, 1936, Mr. Bickle of Bickle-Seagraves Fire Engine Limited, of Woodstock, Ontario was given a contract to supply the Village of Athens with a fire engine complete, mounted on a Ford V eight chassis. The Village debentured $5500.00 over twenty years for the new engine, a new 2 H.P. electric siren, five new water cisterns, and five hundred feet of fire hose.
It was on October 26, 1936 that Chief Cliff Hewitt called the meeting to reorganize the Athens Fire Brigade. With the purchase of the 1936 Ford V-8 Bickle pumper, a team of trained men was required. Serving with Chief Hewitt, was Cliff L. Hartley as Captain, Bone Addison as Lieutenant, Manny Cifford as Secretary, and C. Carton as Treasurer. A constitution was drafted, a meeting schedule was set up, and the Village had its first organized Department. Word of the new Fire Engine traveled to other communities.
On March 5, 1937, the Athens Fire Department answered a call to Mclntosh Mills. Upon returning to Athens, the men were advised of a request for help in Delta, where a major fire was underway. Four men took the Pumper and proceeded to Delta. Chief Hewitt, Cliff Hartley, Man-ford Gifford, and Phil Periera set up the engine on the Delta bridge and prevented the fire from consuming the whole west side of the business block. The residents of Delta were most grateful.
That same evening, a meeting was called in Delta and the Clerk was instructed to send $100.00 to the Athens Fire Brigade plus $10.00 for each of the men who came with the engine. That same meeting resulted in the formation of a Committee to buy a fire engine as good or better than Athens. Later that year, Delta took delivery of a 1937 Ford V-8 Pumper at a cost of $3936.02. It was said that this pumper was one which the Village of Athens did not buy because it was more expensive than the '36. Delta raised money to pay off its debentures on their truck through various dances and fun day games. Often the Athens Firemen would go and participate in these games.
With the purchase of the 1936 Ford, the Athens Firemen held various dances and raffles to raise money for equipment. The Department set up a Committee to make door to door canvasses on Village residents to raise money for boots and coats. This met with success, and the Firemen were outfitted.
|
