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The
Break-up and New Beginning
The
year was 1938 and the surrounding towns just Southwest of Baltimore City
were mostly rural villages still feeling the effects of the Great
Depression like the rest of the
country. The streetcar ran
out of Baltimore, through
Arbutus, and into Halethorpe. The
many family farms of the area were still producing crops and dairy
products. The interstate
system and townhouse developments had not yet split the rolling hills. The terms “metropolitan”, “suburbs”, and
“shopping centers” were meaningless to the tight knit
communities.
At
the Violeteville Volunteer Fire
Dept.(VVFD) in November of 1937, a bitter disagreement over the
leadership of the company climaxed with the departure of seventeen
members. Led by Robert D. Lycett, the newly formed Community Volunteer Fire Company of Violeteville seized an American
La France Pumper, ambulance, player piano, and a few other items.
The two factions of the small town fire department both elected
officers on Friday, February 4, 1938 and battled for dominance over one
another in the following months.
The
matter was finally settled by Judge C. Gus Grason in the Circuit Court
of Baltimore County on Thursday, October 20, 1938.
He awarded control of all equipment and assets to the original
group and ruled that the others must surrender the apparatus that had
been seized earlier. Rather
than concede, the men decided to form a new department.
Chief Engineer Anthony P. Orban of the Baltimore
County Fire Dept. advised the men to locate west of the railroad
tracks in Arbutus and he would help them in any way that he could.
The
Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department of Baltimore County
(AVFD) was incorporated at
11:55 am on November 21, 1938.
Sixteen original member’s names were recorded on the Articles
of Incorporation: Robert D. Lycett, Oliver C. Kendrick, Fred P. Gick, David
Harmening, Clarence W. Joh, Everett Nash, James Forder, Joseph F. Marks,
Sr., Joseph F. Marks, Jr., William Marks, Howard E. Ittner, Paul M.
Rock, Edward S. MacNabb, Fred Suresch, Ernest Cavey, and Maurice W.
Scholing. Other sources
indicate a seventeenth person,
James R. Grimm, as being a charter member but his name does not appear
on the articles of incorporation.
The
Arbutus Community Association leased a portion of their land on the
North side of Linden Avenue to the new firemen and donated their
carnival dance floor as lumber for construction of a building.
On November 26, 1938 the men met on their new grounds to begin
construction of a firehouse. They
cut the dance floor up into three parts, which were then used for the
first floor walls. They
went into debt to buy the necessary materials to complete the building.
The finished product was nothing more than a two story garage
with two doors on the first floor for the fire engine and ambulance, and
sleeping quarters upstairs. The
first apparatus was a 1927 American La France - 500gpm pumper and a 1932
Kissel ambulance. It is
unknown whether or not this engine was that which was seized from VVFD
after the split.
With
the huge debt facing them and the need for operating expenses, they
started holding “Country Store Bingo” to raise funds.
Bingo would continue to be one of the major sources of income for
AVFD even after sixty years.
In
1939, application was made to the Baltimore County Commissioners for an
appropriation to maintain a volunteer fire department.
An appropriation of $500 was made for the following two years and
after that, $1000 per year. The
Baltimore Co. Fire Dept. also donated some used 2 ½ inch fire hose
which was greatly needed and appreciated.
Later that year, AVFD members Oliver Kendrick, Maurice Scholing,
and David Harmening formed a by-laws committee.
Soon thereafter, a Constitution and by-laws were adopted. (back)
Rapid
Growth in the Early Years
In 1942 the Arbutus Community
Association relocated across Linden Avenue to a new building at their
present location (Town Hall). The AVFD bought the old community hall which was next door to
their small firehouse. The
upstairs of the old hall was converted into a recreation room and
sleeping quarters for those who would spend the night on duty.
The firemen continued to use both buildings for the next 22
years.
During this year the
Department replaced their apparatus. They bought a new 1942 Ford/Ward LaFrance, 500 GPM pumper and
a Buick Limited Sedan which was converted into an ambulance.
These were also the war years and the Civil Defense Headquarters
for the 13th district of Baltimore County
was set up in the sleeping/meeting room on the second floor of
the original firehouse.
In 1945, an addition was
built onto the back of the old community hall building.
The basement level of the
addition had room for the parking of two more pieces of apparatus behind
one large garage door. About
the same time, a Chrysler station wagon was bought for use as an
“emergency vehicle”.
In 1947, the Department went
into the rescue business. A 1947 International Panel Truck was purchased for use as a
floodlight/rescue squad and was later designated Rescue Squad 353.
This vehicle transported a floodlight system, boat and grapple
hooks, portable cellar pump, and an acetylene torch.
Also that year, a 1947 Seagrave-750 GPM pumper (later Engine 351)
replaced the 1942 Ford/Ward LaFrance.
The old Ford/Ward LaFrance was sold to the newly formed Liberty
Road Volunteer Fire Dept. as their first engine.
A new 1948 Buick Roadmaster Ambulance was acquired the following
year. This ambulance was
outfitted to carry up to four patients at one time.
This was known as the “swoop and scoop” era.
Ambulance personnel were instructed to a minimal of first aid
skills as compared to the standards of today.
Ambulance attendants would “swoop” down on patients and
“scoop” them up to be rushed to the hospital with little or no
medical treatment. The
ambulance carried a two-body Emerson Resuscitator, one oxygen inhalator,
first aid equipment, and a two-way Police radio operated under the
direction of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Although
growing, the community was still largely rural.
Much of the surrounding area was still wooded and many of the
original farms were still in existence.
A brush vehicle was added to the Department in 1951.
The four-wheel drive, 1947 Willy’s Jeep Forest Firefighter was
bought to aid the firemen in fighting brush fires.
In 1955, a 1954 Dodge Floodlight/Rescue Squad was bought to
replace the old rescue squad.
This bigger truck was much better suited
to handle more technical rescues.
It was equipped with an acetylene torch, power saws and drills,
railroad jacks, grapple hooks, asbestos suits, smoke ejector fans,
portable generator, floodlights, and many other rescue tools.
The new Dodge became Rescue Squad 354 and the old International
was retained by AVFD until 1960 when it was sold to member Harley Bush.
One year later, a 1956 Cadillac Ambulance (Ambulance 356) was
added to accommodate the growing number of medical calls.
This may have been when AVFD became a “double ambulance”
company. This Department
had become largely responsible for ambulance service in most of the
southwest corner of Baltimore County as well as parts of Howard and Anne
Arundel counties.
In 1958, a 1957 Seaking-14ft
flat-bottom aluminum boat (Boat 350) and trailer were purchased to
replace the old boat. This
boat, after more than 40 years, is still in service for appropriate uses
such as ice rescues. (back)
Changes
and New Ideas
At AVFD, the year 1961
brought about what probably seemed to be a radical change.
In an attempt to lure new members, the age requirement was
lowered from 21 to 18. This
change came, but not without a fight.
There was probably a great deal of resistance to letting in young
members. The 18 to 21 year
old members still needed parental consent and were not considered full members until
their twenty-first birthday.
The
Arbutus Volunteer Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary was “reorganized”
in 1963. This group of
ladies were the spouses of members and were a supporting unit of the
Department. Not only did
they help in fund raising for vital equipment and expenses but offered
moral support as well.
1963 was also a year of an
invention which contributed greatly to the work of ambulance personnel
but has been, for the most part, forgotten about.
The design of the suction units found on ambulances for many
years was the idea of AVFD
member Ed Kelly.
Several Arbutus firemen,
including Mr. Kelly, were attending ambulance school at City Hospital.
Their instructor, Dr. Wilder, suggested a more efficient means of
operating a suction unit by means of the ambulance’s engine intake
manifold. Used to
suction fluids out of a patient’s mouth, the old suction devices were
run off of an oxygen cylinder and were wasteful and unreliable.
Mr. Kelly made a prototype system on his own car and then applied
it to the two ambulances at AVFD.
One of the newly equipped ambulances was taken back to Dr. Wilder
for a demonstration. Dr.
Wilder photographed the device and showed it to the Baltimore City Fire
Dept.’s Chief of Ambulances. Soon
afterward all of Baltimore City’s ambulances were outfitted with the
system.
This was a true advancement
and became widely accepted as a standard in ambulances for many years.
Unfortunately, Mr. Kelly’s design wasn’t patented and he was
never credited with his invention outside of AVFD. (back)
Modernization
of The Department
Once
more AVFD felt the growing pains of
a Department growing as rapidly as the community around it.
The original little firehouse and the “old hall” were just
not big enough for the two ambulances, fire engine, rescue squad, and
jeep. Once again a major
change was just around the corner.
A bid was sealed with
Ira Rigger Construction Company for the erection of a new modern
fire station with an adjoining banquet hall at a cost of
$147,272. On Sunday,
May 4, 1964, a groundbreaking ceremony took place on the site of the new
station. BCoFB Chief
Winfield Wineholt and AVFD President Robert Brittingham officially
turned over the first shovel of dirt that day.
AVFD moved to its new home at 5200 Southwestern Blvd. on Tuesday
evening, October 20, 1964 after more than 25 years at 1330 Linden Ave. The modern building had four apparatus bays, hose tower,
sleeping quarters, office space, and a large banquet hall for rental and
Departmental affairs.
After the transition was
complete, the two old buildings were razed for parking space.
The public was invited to an official dedication ceremony and
open house on Sunday, October 10, 1965.
During the next several years
AVFD continued its growth with the acquisition of more modern apparatus
to replace the aging equipment. In December of 1966, a new 1966 Mack C85-FD- 750 GPM pumper
(Engine 351) was delivered; in 1968, a new 1967 Jeep brush unit (Brush
352); in 1971, a 1969 Brockway/Providence Heavy Rescue Squad (Rescue
Squad 354). Between the
early 1960’s and the late 1970’s, the ambulances were being replaced
at a rate of about one every two years. (back)
Power
Boat?, New Colors?, Women?
By the time Hurricane Agnes
hit Maryland in August of 1972 it had been downgraded to a Tropical
Storm but it still managed to devastate much of the east coast.
AVFD, along with every emergency department in Baltimore County
and surrounding jurisdictions, was overwhelmed with a massive overload
of calls. Death and destruction were the end results of the catastrophic
flooding which caught most by surprise.
After the waters had
subsided, it was decided that AVFD would not be caught off guard again
as it was during the torrential storm.
A 1973 Boston Whaler power boat and a 1973 Chevrolet Custom 20,
4x4 pick-up truck (Utility 358) were bought in preparedness for the next
“big one”. In a short
time it was realized that the power boat would not be around to see the
next “100 years flood”. After
very few emergency responses the Boston Whaler was sold in 1974.
In
1978, AVFD purchased a 1978 Seagrave 1250 GPM pumper, although this one
was not a
replacement.
This fire engine/pumper, designated as Engine 352, was in
addition to the compliment of apparatus. But this engine was noticeably
different than the others; the color was lime-green/yellow instead of
fire engine red. The color
choice was a new visibility safety standard being adopted by fire
departments all over the country and had already started being used on
AVFD medic units.
It had been decided to become a “double engine company” much
like some of the other surrounding departments. This gave the Department
the dubious distinction of being the only “double engine” and
“double medic” company in Baltimore County.
Once again in the late
1970’s, AVFD was stirring with a very hot and controversial topic;
Women as active riding members.
For years the women who wished to help the Department became
members of the Ladies Auxiliary. But
by this time, many women were wanting to do more than help raise money
and work at Department events. Women
were fast becoming part of the American workforce and competing in male
dominated jobs. Many career
and volunteer fire departments nationwide had already incorporated women
into their workplace with much success.
It
was 1980 when the first women were accepted as
full members of AVFD. Unfortunately,
for many years some still insisted that the women did not belong in the
firehouse and were not physically or mentally capable of being a
firefighter. But for nearly 20 years, women have competently filled
nearly every rank within the Department.
Not only have they served as firefighters and paramedics but also
as Operations officers, Administrative Officers, including President,
and served on the Board of Directors.
To this day, AVFD is well known for having a higher than average
percentage of female members. (back)
A
Changing Society Reflected within the Department
Throughout the 1980’s,
AVFD continued with the modernization and upgrading of apparatus
in a highly technological time. The
ambulances were state of the art Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipped
units. The Rescue Squad and
“Old Mack” engine were both professionally refurbished but when they
came back to AVFD they were no longer fire engine red.
They had been given the new lime-green/yellow paint scheme.
The
aging brush jeep was severely damaged at the scene of a woods fire near
present day Giant shopping center on Wilkens Avenue.
In the 80’s the Arbutus area was nearly saturated with
development. The farms were
all gone and very few fields or wooded areas remained.
Since brush units were being maintained at nearby Catonsville #4
and Halethorpe #5 career stations, it was decided that after more than
30 years a brush jeep was no longer needed at AVFD.
On
August 6, 1987, a 1987 Hahn 1250 GPM pumper (Engine 351) arrived at AVFD
to take the place of the 1966 Mack.
The “Old Mack”
was a reliable and favorite piece of many , but it was far too outdated
to compete with the modern fire engines of the day.
Many members still reminisce about responding to fires on cold
winter nights while standing on the back step of the old rig.
In July of 1987 the engine pulled out of AVFD for the last time
with the firehouse siren blowing in tribute to “Old Mack”!!
For several years, the Ladies
Auxiliary had difficulty recruiting new members and retaining the old
members. A lack of support
from AVFD had also been a very discouraging factor for the Ladies who
were trying to help the Department.
In 1990, after many years of dedication,
the remaining ladies of the Auxiliary voted to dissolve their
organization. (back)
Towards
the 21st Century
In the early hours of a June
morning in 1993, a much anticipated addition to the family arrived.
A 1993 Spartan Gladiator/ American Fire & Rescue, Heavy
Rescue Squad (Rescue Squad
354) finally rolled into Arbutus after years of planning and waiting.
The old 1969 Brockway had been showing its age for some time. The
squad had difficulty making the climb up the beltway towards US Rt. 40
since being weighed down over the years with heavier and more advanced
equipment. The old
squad found new paint and a new life as Reserve Rescue #1 with the
Baltimore City Fire Department. Very often, the Brockway can still be
seen responding to emergency incidents through the busy streets of
downtown Baltimore or sitting “in quarters” at the John Steadman
Station on Lombard and Eutaw Streets.
The new squad had more than
enough pulling power and room for all necessary tools, but something
else was also very different. Red
was back! After about a 10
year absence, AVFD decided to start returning their apparatus to a more
traditional white over red paint scheme.
Nobody really liked the lime-green/yellow anyway and if they did,
they wouldn’t admit it.
It was noticed that there was
an increasing amount of potential members being turned away due to the
fact that they were not yet 18 years old.
These young adults would simply seek membership at the other
surrounding volunteer companies who had been accepting members at 16
years old for many years.
Another
hot debate at AVFD was brewing! Tempers
flared at the thought of letting
“children” become riding members.
The initial attempt to allow the young members failed approval by
the membership but the fight wasn’t over.
In 1995 the by-laws were once again amended to allow members
between the ages of 16 and 18. The
young members had to have guardian consent and were strictly limited to
certain hours of Departmental participation during the school year.
In addition, the young members had to present their report card
quarterly and could be suspended from Department activities for failure
to maintain ‘C’s in all classes.
During a time of litigation,
strict training standards, and insurance considerations, the 40 year old
aluminum boat was brought into question.
There was no real training or certification to use the boat for
water rescues and it became a liability concern.
The membership decided to commit to the development of a properly
trained water rescue team within the department instead of getting rid
of the boat all together. This was also AVFD’s way of specializing in a rescue field
to comply with Baltimore County’s
Rescue - 2000 plan.
In
1996, under the instruction of
Rescue 3 International, training began for Swift Water Rescue
Technicians and the beginning of AVFD’s
Swift Water Rescue Team (SRT-35).
A Seaworthy, 12ft inflatable raft was donated and proper water
rescue equipment such as helmets, wet suits, ropes, and personal
flotation devices were purchased. Together, AVFD and Kingsville Vol. Fire Dept. (St.48) became
the Swift Water Task Force for Baltimore County.
In 1997, AVFD had a
remarkable amount of changes. Half of the parking lot was crumbling and full of pot
holes. The other half was a
little bit of stone and a lot of mud.
During large hall events, parking was what you made of it.
After and enormous amount of work and cutting through red tape,
the lot was finally paved with asphalt and striped with dedicated
parking for loading, handicapped, and Department members.
Also that year, a dedicated
group of ladies reorganized the Auxiliary.
Membership was now open to both male and female members who did
not want to ride the apparatus but were interested in helping with
Department events. Bingo
and dances were just a couple of the Auxiliary sponsored events to raise
money for the benefit of AVFD.
One of the most exciting
events of 1997 was the replacement of the dilapidated 1978 Seagrave
pumper. The old Seagrave was badly rusted, leaking, and wasn’t able to
pump the 1250 gallons per minute of water for which it was rated.
A 1997 Pierce-Dasch, 1250 GPM pumper found a home at AVFD
as
the new Engine 352. The
Seagrave went to Levels Volunteer Fire Dept. in Levels, West Virginia
where it was truly welcomed as a “modern” fire engine.
In September of 1998, the AVFD Auxiliary made a gracious
presentation to the Department. A
new set of Holmatro rescue tools for Squad 354 replaced the 1970’s era
Hurst rescue tools. The new
tools were smaller, lighter, faster, stronger, and more technologically
advanced than the old Hurst system.
Also in 1998, a decision was
made to replace Engine-351 instead of refurbish it.
The eleven year old Hahn 1250 GPM pumper was still in good
condition but was showing signs of its age.
Engine-352
was less than a year old and was met with great success in design and
performance. Since the
blueprints were still fresh and the price was still relatively current,
Pierce would become the builder of the new Engine-351.
The 1999 Pierce Dasch 2000-1250 GPM pumper was nearly a twin to
the 1997 model and arrived during the summer of 1999.
The Hahn and 57 sections of extra hose were sold shortly after
being put up for sale and months before the new engine would arrive.
S&L Fire Equipment of Andalusia, Alabama purchased
it in order to refurbish for the local volunteer fire company in the
town of Andalusia.
The 1988 Ford/Medtec
ambulance (Medic-356) had
also served diligently for longer than anyone had expected but was in
dire need of replacement. The
committee reviewed many different design plans and companies and came to
a decision on a 1999 Ford F-350/Horton-Type I ambulance. The new
ambulance arrived in May
and put into service in June of 1999.
The 1988 Ford was retained by the Department and converted into a
Swift Water Rescue response unit and redesignated as Special Unit 359.
In May of that same year, a
special meeting was held and a decision agreed upon to open a substation
at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) campus. Medic 355
would be housed on campus and “University Members” would staff the
unit during the school year. The
“University Members” would be given the same training and
responsibilities as regular members but would have no voting rights and
would be held accountable to the fire line officers and Board of
Directors of the Department. (back)
Today
AVFD
recently celebrated an achievement of 60 years of commitment to their
community and hopes to continue providing professional protection to the
citizens of Baltimore County for many more years.
All the services of the equipment, and the members, are
completely volunteer. Expenses
of the Department are met by fundraising events such as the annual
carnival, fund drive, bingo, photo drive, and hall rental to name just a
few.
As the twentieth century came
to a close in 1999, the Department had responded to 1019 fire/rescue
calls and 1615 ambulance calls for the year.
Through the efforts of the men and women of the Arbutus Volunteer
Fire Department, who have worked long and faithfully for the advancement
of their organization, this Department has reached an enviable position
among the volunteer fire companies of Baltimore County. (back)
    
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