Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-07-07
McCONNEIISVILLE VOLUNTEERS
HAVE FINE RECORD
Ex-MayOr's Gifts Help Equip
Department

In the eight years since its organ
ization in 1880, during which it has
responded to hundreds of calls, the
McCOnnelsville volunteer fire de-
partment has been successful in saw
ing every home to which it was
summoned in the twin towns of
Malta and McConnelsville. The COM
pany has increased from the original
IL members to the present force of
20.
Prior to the establishment of
fire department McConnelsville and
Malta had no effective fire alarm,
but slight equipment and a distress
ing lack of organization for fighting,
a situation which had obtained for
nearly rs years. During winter
months business men lived in con- J
stant dread of a fire at night. The !
addition of a water system, while
it brought a reduction in the insur-
ance rates, did little to alleviate the
situation.
In 1929, the village of McCon-
nelsville purchased ''pumper.'
Previous fire fighting equipment had
been a handdrawn hosecart and
hand-drawn ladder wagon, relics of
the towns crack volunteer depart
ment of the COS. March of 1880
saw little improvement in fire fight
ing methods as every resident who
could find room on the truck usually
went to fire. 1t was as a remedy
to this situation that E. d. Shafer,
then mayor, and V. A. Van Horn,
town watchman, proposed the for
nation of the present department.
hoir in, IN
the pump truck which carried three
chemical tanks, included 1000 feet
of hose and a 35-foot extension lad
der.
Today the department boasts in
addition to the original pump truck,
an eight-cylinder ladder truck; q
100 feet of various sizes of hose;
1897 pickup truck bought especial
ly for country runs and equipped
with a portable pump, booster tank,
hand chemical eXtinguishers. extern
sion ladder, etc.; complete first aid
equipment including inhalator for
drowning or electrical shock, gas
mask, oxygen tent and steel boat,
the last named a gift of Mr.. Shafer.
The chassis for the ladder truck
was purchased by the town; the
body constructed and the equipment
added by the volunteers, themselves.
In county of $4,000 all country
calls receive the same attention as
those inside the corporations of Nal
ia and McConnelsville.
Twenty-one drownings have re-
ceived the attention of the depart
ment and the inhalator has been
called into service many times.
Twelve members of the department
have completed the standard first
aid course.
When a fire breaks out and is re-
ported to the telephone office, the
operator releases the large siren
atop the city hall building. The
first fireman to reach the station,
at the rear of the courthouse, calls
the operator, is informed of the To-
cation of the fire and releases the
siren a second time.
AS soon as five men have arrived,
unusually before the first man has
completed his call, one truck is
manned and on the arrival of three
more members the second truck
goes out. Each man knows his po-
sition on the. truck and knows ex-
actly what to do as his part in fight
ing the fire.
A record run for the department
was made in response to call from
Beverly, 16 miles south, in 1882.
Twenty-Five minutes after the siren
had sounded at 1920 a. m. Sunday,
the company had arrived at the
500 feet of hose.
,.+y in
1897 by the Ohio Inspection bureau
as one of the outstanding depart
ments in the state, eligible for a
course in firemanship prepared by
o. S. U. Eleven members enrolled
for and completed the course.
To create and maintain interest
in such an organization over an eX-
tended period, social life has been
developed. A rigid set of rules gov
erning membership and attendance
have also been carefully enforced.
During their first year the de-
partment bought and raZed a house
in the now almost extinct town of
Santoy, and constructed their own
clubhouse beside the firehouse.
Scarcely an evening passes when
the house is not in use as a recrea-
tional or social center for members
of the department and their wives.
Annual dances and potluck din
rers are part of the life Of the de-
partment Street fairs, carnivals |
and shows, all have been staged to
raise money to purchase new equip |
ment. With the exception of the
two large trucks and some inciden-
tai equipment, all apparatus has
been bought in this manner, or ac-
quired through the generosity of
Mr.. Shafer. In addition to the pur
chase of steel boat, Mr.. Shafer
outfitted the entire company with
rubber coats at his own expense.
Regular meetings of the depart |
ment for drill. discussion of new
fire fighting methods and business,
are held each Wednesday. Failure
to attend four consecutive meetings
without a reasonable excuse calls
for suspension of member. At
tendance during the past eight years
has averaged over 80 percent. Frank
Howard has held the position of
chief since September, 1881.
The foregoing appeared in last
Sundays Columbus Dispatch, and
with it. pictures of our firemen, Mr..
Shafer, ..and of our fire departments
headquarters.
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