FIRE COMPANIES OF LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP - By Nicholas R Loveless
From Lhi
Oral History: Listen to former Lawrence Township Police Chief Nicholas Loveless (hi-bandwidth) OGG interviewed in 1989
"In all kinds of weather these men have never failed to respond cheerfully to every call, risking life and limb as firemen must, and not often risking them in vain, for they have undoubtedly saved many thousands of dollars worth of property. This saving, great as it has been, sinks into utter insignificance when compared to the feeling of comfort and security that has come to those of us who are fortunate enough to live under their protection. The shriek of their siren and the roar of their engines going into action may be discordant and startling, especially in the middle of the night, but when your house is on fire and the fire is gaining on you, that same discordant shriek and ominous roar make the sweetest symphony that ever falls on human ears. GOD BLESS THE FIRE COMPANY"
These words are taken from a portion of the tribute to the Lawrenceville Fire Company by Thomas C. Hill, honoring those firemen at the 25th anniversary of the company in 1940.
The very first volunteer fire company in this country was organized by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia in 1736. In what is now Mercer County, the first company was the Union Volunteer Fire Company in Trenton. It was formed in 1747 when Trent's Town was only a struggling village and Maidenhead a handful of scattered homes and farms. It would be 160 years before an organized fire company would be formed in Lawrence Township. In 1892 Trenton formed the first paid fire department in the area. In the early years it was neighbor helping neighbor and bucket brigades to combat fires. Even when organized companies were formed, the main objective was to extinguish fires as they occurred. Little thought was given to fire prevention, but as in the field of medicine, the philosophy of prevention gradually evolved and today is the most important factor in fire fighting.
All fire fighters take their job very seriously. They are looked up to by the public and respected by all. The volunteers of Lawrence are socially minded and have strength in their membership, standing apart from government and their reliance upon it. Although they receive limited support from the township, they have always been able, over the years, to avoid the need for a fire tax and the need for a fully paid fire department.
There are three volunteer fire companies in Lawrence, Slackwood Fire Company, designated as Station 21; Lawrence Road Fire Company, designated as Station 22; and Lawrenceville Fire Company, designated Station 23. The original names of the companies have been standardized. All three were formed in the early part of the 20th century as the need became apparent in different sections of the township. They all have much in common, yet each is unique in its own way and has it own identity. Friendly rivalry exists between the companies, not only in Lawrence, but within Mercer County and the state as well.
Firemen enjoy the camaraderie with other members who all have the same common denominator. They are good citizens, enthusiastic about their responsibilities and socially participate in local functions and affairs. Over the years they have held Halloween parties, Christmas parties, Easter Egg Hunts, picnics and banquets in addition to the fund raising events that financed their operation. Inside their individual firehouses there are recreation rooms that house television, pool tables and other things that help keep the interest in the company alive. There are many photographs that go back over the years, of officers of the company and of fires that were fought. Trophies are also on display as part of their hard-won excellence in competitions, parades and annual conventions.
The fire fighter of today, whether he or she is a volunteer or a member of a paid department, is a highly trained specialist. The Mercer County Fire School, at the Dempster Fire Service Training Center on Lawrence Station Road in Lawrence, oversees and administers the training of individuals in compliance with the standards established by the State of New Jersey. Classroom training and hands-on training are administered to candidates as well as in-service training to keep abreast of new procedures and techniques that are constantly changing. The chemistry of fire, hydraulics, forcible entry, ventilation, ladder practices and many other subjects are taught at the school.
Entrance requirements to join a company in Lawrence vary from company to company, but generally the applicant must be 18 years of age, live within the district and be able to pass a rigid physical examination. Recruits must complete a basic course of at least 100 hours before they are qualified to participate in fighting fires. Advanced courses are required to move up into certain other positions.
There are many other functions that the fire companies perform. A mutual aid agreement assures their response to calls for assistance from other township companies and other companies in Mercer County as well. When not fighting fires they aid during periods of flooding, pump out flooded basements, search for lost or missing children and the elderly, aid in power failures, rescue stranded animals and assist in other catastrophes in what was once Civil Defense/Disaster Control responsibilities which now falls under the umbrella of Emergency Management. One of the most dangerous of all is dealing with hazardous chemicals and materials.
A typical example is the improvised hose pipeline that was made when the Trenton Water Filtration Plant broke down over the Labor Day weekend in 1975. Most of south Lawrence was without water. For seven days and nights firemen, along Princeton Pike, manned their pumper trucks to supply water from the Elizabethtown Water Company in Princeton Township to connect to the Trenton pipelines.
Fire prevention efforts are also promoted to residents, and in particular school children. Many fires are avoided as a result. The installation of smoke detectors and sprinkler systems has also saved many homes and businesses from serious damage by fire loss.
Lawrence Township has three employees, classified as fire inspectors, whose responsibility it is to enforce the fire code. Although the fire code is based on sound fire prevention principles and intended to reduce fire hazards, the enforcement is sometimes met with resistance by those affected by it. The end result, however, is part of overall fire prevention and in the best interest of public safety. Members of the fire companies also serve on the Township Public Safety Committee and are able to make recommendations on all construction applications.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the fire companies also play an important role with the fire companies. Most were formed soon after the companies themselves were organized. In the old days of the hand-drawn equipment, it was not uncommon for the ladies to help pull the carts to the scene of a fire when many of the men were off at work and unable to respond to the call. The ladies worked hand in hand with the men on fundraising projects holding harvest home dinners, peach and strawberry festivals, chicken, ham and oyster suppers, scrap paper drives, tricky tray parties, bus trips, candy sales, carnivals and many other affairs to help support the company financially. Their presence also gave the men moral support.
The history and growth of Lawrence's volunteer fire companies is closely related to that of the town itself. While volunteerism seems to be on the decline everywhere in our society, the volunteer fire companies continue to do the job the way they have done it for the past 80 or 90 years. It is difficult to understand what lures these men to follow their part-time career that is dangerous and sometimes fatal. They are leading members of the community and believe in what they are doing. They take pride in their companies and their community. Their only reward for countless hours of their time and efforts is the satisfaction of duty well done, very often at great personal sacrifice.
There can be no finer tribute to Lawrence's volunteer fire fighters than that spoken by Thomas Hill in 1940. GOD BLESS THE FIRE COMPANY.
