CLINTON — As the City of Clinton begins its plans for a new city hall and fire station, Clinton Fire Department personnel are ready to celebrate their service’s 150th anniversary on Saturday.
If not for some digging by the department’s senior, full-time member, though, the celebration might not have been for another five years.
Members of the fire department used to be under the assumption the department was formed in 1879. But, while doing some research, David Dallas, a 35-plus year veteran with CFD, discovered the department was actually formed in 1874.
“When they first organized, they kept them (horses) in a building somebody let them use somewhere close to the square on Washington Street,” Dallas said. “And, then they built our original station.”
The original fire station also had a second floor where the city council held it meetings.
The fire department stopped using horses in 1916. The current station was built in 1923.
“With their first truck in 1916, they put an exit out onto the street,” Dallas said.
It was less common in those days for people to take photos, so photos of early pieces of fire department equipment are difficult or impossible to come by.
“For us, we’re celebrating a milestone, but we also want the community to see their fire department,” Dallas said.
“Where it started and how it has evolved into what we have today.”
Dallas said it had been a long organizational process to get ready for the anniversary. It was just a year ago he discovered the department was formed earlier than believed.
“We kind of came about it by accident,” he said. “We thought the department was organized in 1879. “After a lot of research, we found out it was organized in 1874.”
Dallas realized it was only 12 months until the 150th anniversary.
“It was about this time last year,” he said.
By October, committees started to form to put the whole thing together, and in November, work got under way.
“So, we’ve been at it for a few months now,” Dallas said. “I think it’s come together really well.”
Clinton Fire Department uses a system called NIMS (National Incident Management System) to coordinate fire scenes when they respond. Dallas said the system also has been valuable in organizing and planning the department’s anniversary event.
“It works on more than just fires,” he said. “It helps to keep it organized.”
CFD currently has 32 firefighters on its roster. They are equipped to accommodate up to 45. Dallas said it could be a challenge to attract volunteers when many also have full-time jobs. But, he said it was the same situation everywhere.
“The amount of training it takes is tremendous,” Dallas said.
He said the department currently has a good group of probationary firefighters going through training.
“They’ve been going two full weekends a month since last September, minus a winter break,” he said. “They’ve put in a lot of hours. The classroom itself is 196 hours, and then they have to do a couple of online classes and some other in-house classes.”
They put in about 240-250 hours of training to get started with the fire department.
Dallas said it was amazing how much training firefighters do but said he was amazed what firefighters had to do 150 years ago.
“They didn’t have all of this equipment,” he said. “They did it all by hand and no protective equipment, no air packs. I think we’d be kind of amazed by each other.”
Before horses, everything was done by hand, including pumping water, and it often came down to using bucket brigades,” Dallas said.
A large fire on the square in 1870 was the catalyst for forming a municipal fire department.
“It burned two or three buildings,” Dallas said. “One was a wagon manufacturing place and livery. Bucket brigades were what saved it.”
On the Fourth of July 1874, a fire on the southeast corner of the square burned several buildings. Dallas said, again, bucket brigades saved the day.
“It was getting so bad, they put in a call to Springfield to have them bring a steam fire engine by train,” he said. “They ended up getting it under control before the steam engine got here.”
Once Clinton organized its official fire department, surrounding communities began calling them when they needed help. The concept of today’s mutual aid between fire departments was already under way 150 years ago.
Outside departments have been invited to bring their trucks and participate in the apparatus show.
“We’re hoping to get a lot of people,” Dallas said. “We’ll have some fire equipment vendors showing off some of their equipment and some of the stuff we use today.”
Saturday’s
celebration
activities on Mr. Lincoln Square
• 10 a.m. – Apparatus show / firefighting demonstrations, including proper use of a fire extinguisher
• Opening at 11 a.m. — A variety of food vendors
• Noon — Recognition of current and former fire department members
• 1 p.m. — Firefighter competition events
• Early evening — Band on the square
