MEMORIAL
VOLUNTEER FIRE CO.
89
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This history is dedicated to firemen Edward Evans and Lemuel C. “Junior” Hitchens whose leadership and dedication to the fire service have made the steep and long climb to success much easier for us all.
May God Bless Them !
We dedicate this second writing to those who have served as administrators and line officers over the past fifty three years. Who without there dedication to duty the company would not be the well equipped and efficient organization that it is today.
May God Bless Them !
Benjamin Franklin realizing the need for fire protection organized the fire volunteer fire company in Philadelphia in 1736. The progression of the volunteer fire service gravitated to the insurance companies in 1752 who formed Fire Brigades (Companies) to protect the properties they had insured. Wherever the need for fire protection became prevalent, fire companies would incorporate and perform the community service of fire protection. The need for a fire company at Slaughter Beach became quite evident in the early 1950’s.
Such were the beginning seeds for the establishment of the “Memorial Volunteer Fire Company of Slaughter Beach, Delaware”. This history will trace the establishment, growth, and progression of Station 89 from 1954 to the present year 2007.
Slaughter Beach is located in Northeastern Sussex County, Delaware. The winter population is approximately 100 and swells to 500 during the summer months. Historically the town has been a summer recreational area and the Mispillion River the home port for recreation and commercial fishing fleets. Many of the boat captains and their families made their permanent home here and earned their living as watermen, crabbing, fishing, oystering, or claming in the bay. The Mispillion Lighthouse Marina was the home port for a fleet of charter boats that did recreational fishing.
Most of the watermen have disappeared and the fishing fleets now consist of a few boats moored in Cedar Creek. These have been replaced by the Mispillion boat storage facility which houses many recreational fishing boats.
The citizens of Slaughter Beach work in many of the nearby communities and summer residences are owned by people from other counties and states.
Bay Avenue (Route 36) runs the entire four-mile length of the town and is fronted by beachfront properties on the east and also dwellings on the west side of the highway. Marsh and farm land stretch from the town limits to the hamlet of Argos Corner to the west, the Delaware Bay to the east, Fowlers Beach to the south, and the Cedar Neck Church to the north. This comprises the fire territory of the Memorial Volunteer Fire Company.
In October, 1954, ten days after hurricane “Hazel” had battered Slaughter Beach fire erupted at the restaurant and barroom business of James “Jimmy” Wilson. Before the Carlisle Fire Company of Milford arrived on scene the building was completely engulfed in flames and was totally destroyed.
The day after the fire Connie Fassel, Tom Plummer, George Cohee, Ben Young, Bob and Al Sleva along with several other residents of Slaughter Beach were surveying the aftermath of the fire. Several people commented that the beach should have a piece of fire fighting apparatus to contain any fire on the beach until neighboring companies could be summoned.
A meeting with the Carlisle Fire Company, Milford, was scheduled and held at the Mispillion Lighthouse Restaurant for the purpose of taking initial steps to establish a fire company. Following the meeting an election of officers was held. Members elected unto office were, President George Cohee; Secretary Ben Young; Treasurer James Wilson; and Chief Conrad Fassel. Meetings were conducted in the firemen’s homes or in the restaurant at the Mispillion Lighthouse.
Through donations the members raised three hundred dollars n 1954, which was used to purchase a 1927 American La France Pumper from Teddy Walius of Ellendale. Mr. Walius, a long time member of the Ellendale Fire Company, purchased the piece of equipment from Ellendale to water and destroy bag worms on his Christmas tree acreage.
This was the original piece of fire fighting apparatus acquired by the Memorial Volunteer Fire Company. There being no fire station the truck was stored outside and in late 1957 the pump froze and cracked. In 1959, Albert “Pop” Sleva removed the pump and dug a hole in the sandy floor of the truck room, (the concrete floor had not yet been poured), welded the pump, covered it with the sand to slow the cooling process to keep the weld from cracking. After Pop Sleva had reinstalled the pump, Howard Hitchens and Connie Fassel towed the truck to station 42’s Church street fire house where Oscar Maloney rebuilt the pump and tuned the engine. The truck was then driven back to Slaughter Beach.
Edith McKee’s garage was lengthened to accommodate this truck prior to the station being built and the La France and GMC were also stored in the lot adjacent to the Hitchens grocery store.
In the interim, between the purchase of the 1927 La France and the 1961 Ford/La France, (our present #4) a 1942 GMC pumper was secured from the Magnolia Fire Company and used in Slaughter Beach until the early 1960’s. It was sold to Max Corder and used for fire protection at the High Point Trailer Court in Little Heaven.
The La France and GMC were stripped, sanded, and painted by Pop Sleva, Dick Caldwell, and Ervin Hall. Jack Kunkle, the Milford High School Art teacher, donated his time and talent to letter the trucks.
In 1961, after the purchase of a new 1961 Ford/American La France pumper the 1927 La France was sold to Tommy Harrington and driven to Ocean City, Maryland to wash in pilings. Upon completion of this project the truck was sold and cut up for scrap metal.
From late 1956 until fall of 1958, the fire company experienced a period of inactivity. In September 1958, Edward Evans of Milford convened a meeting at this summer cottage for the purpose of reestablishing and reincorporating the Memorial Volunteer Fire Company. Some of the members present were Pete Manlove, Jr. Hitchens, Dick Caldwell, Herman Sharp Jr., Connie Fassel, Howard Hitchens, Rich Shockley, and Bob Sleva. The name “Memorial Volunteer Fire Company” was to become the official name of the organization to honor all veterans of WWII fought by the United States of America. This name was accepted and remains the official department name today. The name Memorial is also in memory of Howard Wilkins and Hozemuller of the Carlisle Fire Company, who assisted with fire protection at Slaughter Beach prior to their deaths in the service of their country.
When the reincorporating was complete the members decided to build a fire station in the incorporated limits of the town of Slaughter Beach. Mr. Warren Newton from Bridgeville wanted to build a home on the south end of the beach which would encroach on one of the town streets. In exchange for footage on his property Mr. Newton deeded a beach front lot to the town of Slaughter Beach, where the fire two bays of the fire house now stand erected. The town of Slaughter beach deeded this lot to the fire company for the purpose of erecting a fire station. Mr. George Draper offered to deed the fire company a lot approximately one quarter mile west of Bay Avenue on Sussex route 224, where he owned a hotel, in exchange for the beach front lot. The fire company elected to build at the present location and in recent years has purchased Mr. Draper’s original lot and surrounding property which is known as “Fireman’s Park”.
The original fire station is located on a single lot, beach front, on the east side of Bay Avenue. The first expansion in 1965, the second in 1969, and the third in 1975 were accomplished through deed land transfers from the town of Slaughter Beach on the south side of the building. In the early 1980’s the lot adjacent to the fire station on the north side was purchased. The house was raised and the present truck room was constructed in 1983.
Because of over crowding and necessity of stacking equipment the company approved the construction of a sub station that is located on the west side of Bay Avenue. This original building was completed in 1994/95 and was extended in 1997/98. It consists of four bays which houses the ambulance, one pumper, GMC van, and food trailer, tractor, and the newest addition, a John Deere Gator and trailer.
In the spring of 1998 the property north of the station became available and was purchased by the company for $159,500.00 and is reserved for future expansion of the present truck room.
The fire company provides an office for the town council and town meetings are held in the fire company meeting room. Other town functions such as elections, public hearings, etc.., are also conducted in this building.
The demographics of the fire company have changed over the years. Most of the active fire fighters live off of Slaughter Beach. To increase the company response time it was decided to build a sub station closer to Argos Corner. Ground has been purchased on Route 224 which will, when completed in 2007/2008 will increase the companies response time for alarms.
Through the years many fund raising activities have been used by the company to raise revenue. In the early 1960s, through the leadership of Ed Evans a carnival and fireman’s parade were held and a pier was constructed over the water on the east side of the station. Unfortunately this was lost in the March 1962 storm and was never rebuilt. These activities reactivated the day known as big Thursday.
The 4th of July Fireworks continue to be a popular event for the residents of southern Kent and eastern Sussex counties and summer residents. This activity has been continuous from the mid 1960s until present, interrupted only in 1997 by the closing of Cedar Creek Bridge. Thousands of people observe this event each year.
Being unable to afford the bunker gear in the late 50s we were fortunate to receive some donations from the Milford Carlisle Fire Company and Dick Caldwell’s contribution from the Spangler PA Fire Company that provided boots and coats for some of the Slaughter Beach firemen.
The original parade uniform consisted of beige pants, maroon jacket and white hats that were given to us by the Carlisle Fire Company. The cost of turn out gear in the early 60s amounted to $300 or $400 per fireman including helmets. Gear purchased in 1997 was $1,000 per fireman which included boots, coasts, and pants. Helmets were an additional item at an extra cost. Presently each fireman is provided with a pager, nomex hood, gloves and extra socks. The total price to outfit one fireman is in excess of $1,500.
Equipment traditionally found on the fire apparatus has been supplemented by specialty emergency equipment such as the Phoenix Tool and the Hurst Tool for auto rescue. Air bags for lifting heavy objects in the event of industrial and/or auto accidents, the cascade system on the rescue pumper, portable saws, and an air chisel are some other examples of emergency equipment, to mention a few. All pumpers are equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
The present alignment of trucks include:
A chronology of all the fire apparatus, purchase price and disposition will follow. We would be remiss in not mentioning some pieces of equipment that are special to the fire company.
The 1927 American La France holds a special place in this history. It is not only the first truck purchased, but was the only magneto, rotary pump piece of equipment ever owned by the company.
The O-10 crash truck purchased as surplus from the Air Force and nicknamed the “Elephant” was the only piece of equipment capable of navigating the beach during the March 1962 storm. Salt water from this storm took its’ toll on this truck and in 1963 it was stripped and sold for salvage.
Number 4, the 1961 Ford/American La France was the first new piece of equipment purchased by the fire company, thus enabling us to join the Sussex County and State Fireman’s Association.
In the mid 60s it was decided by the company that an ambulance service was needed on the beach. A used 1960 Cadillac ambulance was purchased and put into service at that time. Around the station this ambulance was affectionately known as “Old Red”.
A first for the company was the purchase of a 2006 Ford Command vehicle that is on a rotating schedule with the company line officers.
On August 19, 2007 the company placed into service 89 Marine (2) a Sea Ark Rescue and Fire fighting boat that is capable of handling emergencies that occur in the Delaware Bay and in mutual aid to other companies in Delaware