In the year of 1987 the Borough of Westville was covered
by two separate Fire Companies. The Union and
Independent Fire Companies. Volunteers were separated by
the two Companies and each Station had different
equipment and their own set of Officers. Due to the
dwindling amount of Volunteers and extremely tight
budgets the two Companies began talk about merging and
consolidating to one Department. With unanimous votes by
both Companies, the Westville Fire Department was
organized in October of 1987. All consolidation and
preparations were started.
On the first Thursday November, 1987, a single set of
Desk and Line Officers were elected into office, and
January 1, 1988, the two Fire Companies were
Incorporated into the Westville Fire Department and the
names Union and Independent and Station 7-1 and Station
7-2, were no longer to be used. The new Station Number
was to be Station 7-3.
The two Buildings were kept and all Members were to
respond the Station closest to their residence. All
Non-Fire-Fighting activities were moved to the Fire
House located at Broadway and Pine Street (Know as the
the North Station). The Fire House located at Broadway
and Olive street was known as the South Station. The
first run for the new Department was a vehicle fire on
Interstate Route 295 on January 3,1988.
The North Station housed a 1976 Mack Pumper, the 1953
Maxim 75' Aerial, the 1976 Maxim Pumper, 1969 Maxim
Pumper, !987 Ford/Marion Rescue, 1982 Ford/Braun
Ambulance and a Marine Unit.
Due to an increasing cost of maintaining both Buildings
and all of the equipment, the Members voted to move the
equipment and Fire Department activities from the North
Station to the South Station, also placing the oldest
Pumper for sale.
In 1989, The Westville Fire District was established due
to the increasing cost of maintaining the equipment and
insurance. The Westville Fire Department donated all of
the fire apparatus and equipment to the Fire District,
thus saving the taxpayers an enormous amount of money.
The Fire District's first major purchase was a 1991
Horton Ambulance to replace the 1982 Braun Ambulance.
The District the purchased a 1991 E-One 75' Aerial
Ladder Truck with a 1500 GPM Pump replacing two trucks,
a 1976 Mack 1000 GPM and 1953 Maxim 75' Aerial Ladder
Truck, thus saving much needed money on maintenance
costs.
In July of 1991, an Insignia was designed to be placed
on all new apparatus signifying the Unity of the
Department and thus, a Maltese Cross with a flaming
number 7 in the middle, the Department's and District's
Name on it and the new slogan "Pride Protecting
People" was established. The Insignia is now on all
stationary.
When the Fire District announced that they wanted to
purchase a new Aerial Truck, the Fire Department was
faced with a problem, the Aerial Truck had a riding
height of ten foot three inches and the front bay doors
of the Fire House were only nine foot eight inches. The
only choice was to renovate the engine room and the
three front bay doors, this giving the Westville Fire
Department their new look. While this renovation was
being completed, the Fire District took delivery of the
new Aerial Truck and thus the North Station was returned
to service. On February 21, 1992, this Aerial Truck was
housed in the South Station.
As of this date the Westville Fire Department has grown
from forty-eight Members in 1907 to one hundred and
thirty plus Members, from Senior, Junior, Life Exempt,
to Honorary Members proudly serving our Community. |
