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ASBURY VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY NO. 1
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History
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The Asbury
Volunteer Fire Company was organized on December 12, 1955. Our first officers were:
Walter Stedenfeld
- President
Louis Grakey
- Vice President
Leonard Ziegler
- Secretary
Claude Dimmick
- Treasurer
William Stanley
- Chief
William Miller
- Assistant Chief
Richard Peters
- Captain
Donald Groover
- Lieutenant
Rev. B. O'Rear
- Chaplan
Richard Flournory
- Trustee
Clyde Speck -
Trustee
Theodore Crawley
- Trustee
Land for our firehouse
was donated by S.E. Speck and Son. On March 17, 1956 a ground breaking ceremony was held with Gov. Robert Meyner as
guest speaker. Construction of the firehouse was a town project, with the work being done by the community.
In May 1957 the Fire
Company was ready and open for business with a completed building, a pump and a tank truck - an American LaFrance 500
- gallons-a-minute Class B Pumper that was purchased for $370.00 and in service until 1962.
On October 28, 1962
an International Pumper was purchased for $12,261.00. A new Imperial Firetruck - 1,000 gallons-a-minute pumper - was
delivered in May 1973 at the cost of $39,000.00.
In 1975 a radio telpehone
and siren alarm system was set up in the homes of Harry Smith and Ed Woolf to report fires and notify fireman. Later,
plectronics were purchased and distributed for each fireman's home. The land behind the firehouse was purchased in April
1976 from William Plenge.
In February 1982 a
new building and remodel of the old was proposed, then approved in September, as an estimated cost of $45,000.00.
A 1972 GMC Oil Delivery
Truck was converted to a 2,000 gallon water tanker by members in 1985 and put into service. In 1986 our department switched
from self-dispatch to local police dispatch in Lopatcong Township.
Our members converted
another Oil Delivery Truck in 1991 to a 3,000 gallon tanker and put it into service. In 1994, County 911 opened for
all Warren County police, fire, and rescue squads who are now dispatched from a regional location. Franklin Township
purchased a 1994 KME 1,000 gpm Pumper for $175,000.00 in 1995 and that serves us presently as 58-62, along with 58-81, a 1995
Ford F350 4-door Brush Truck that was purchased for $42,000.00 in 1996.
A 1984 GMC Suburban
was purchased in 1999 for $12,000.00 from Quackertown Fire Company to be used for various company business including use as
a command unit. It was replaced with our current 58-85, a 2003 Dodge Durango bought brand new that year for $21,000.00.
At the cost of $250,000.00,
a 2000 S&S /Spartan 3,000 Gallon Pumper-Tanker was purchased and put into service during the new millennium.
New Kitchen equipment
replaced items that were 20-30 years old in 2005 at an approximate cost of $10,000.00. This year, 2006, hall renovations
have begun to bring our building up to current fire and ADA codes.
Since our department
was establised in 1955, Asbury Volunteer Fire Company has done an excellent job in providing the community with alert and
effective fire protection. In addition to our firefighting, members are very community minded, sponsoring annual Halloween
and Christmas events. The firehouse is used for numerous community meetings and proceedings, and hall rentals were our
neighbors can host birthday parties, weddings or various classes. Our members have established an active Fire Prevention
Program going to local schools and reaching out to the youth of the community, and a Junior Firefighter Program preparing
younger members for later work in fire service. Our department volunteers also enjoy reaching out to the local neighborhoods
by participating in parades and fairs, such as 56 Rescue's annual Open House.
We, the Asbury Fire
Company look forward to many more years of service to our community. Thank you to all who made the past 50 years possible.
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