Lemont's Volunteer Fire Department

Fire has been a fearsome friend to humanity since the beginning of time.  In 23 BC, Caesar Augustus created the first firefighting force.  Known as “Servants of The Commonwealth” they were groups of slaves and soldiers.
In 1679 after severe losses after numerous large conflagrations, the City of Boston established the first Fire Department in America; this included the first fire engine (hand pumped and pulled to the fire), the first firehouse, and the first paid firefighters.

Like many communities Lemont’s earliest efforts at fire suppression consisted of the classic “Bucket Brigade”.  When there was a fire in town local churches and schools would toll their bells alerting townspeople to bring their buckets and help out by attempting to stop the spread of the fire.
A fire that started in a small barn early on a Tuesday morning, October 10, 1871 forever changed the way people thought about fire protection in their community.  By the time it was over the “Great Chicago Fire” had consumed over 17,500 buildings and destroyed an area of over four square miles.  In addition to more than 300 fatalities, of the 300,000 inhabitants of the city, 90,000 were left homeless.
This fire made people realize one small unchecked fire could grow large enough to destroy an entire community.
The Lemont townspeople soon demanded better water supplies and an organized fire brigade.  They soon got both as in 1883 Lemont began the construction of the water main system.  In 1886 after completion of the water main system, the town fathers adopted an ordinance creating a Volunteer Fire Department consisting of two companies of eleven men each.   Company #1 was the Hose Company, responsible for bringing the hose and pump to the fire and directing the firefighting efforts.
Company #2 was the “Hook & Ladder” Company, responsible for getting the ladders to the scene of the fire because of a shortage of horses, both hose and ladder “trucks” typically had to be pulled by the firefighters. The name "hook and ladder" comes from a special ladder also called the "pompier ladder," a light pole with cross rungs and a hook attached at one end, so it could be attached to an upper story window sill. The hook and ladder company was responsible for saving lives and, when possible, certain personal property.
In order to get volunteers, blank petitions were placed in George Bodenschatz's drugstore at the northwest corner of Stephen and Canal Streets.  Naturally, the first one to sign up was George Bodenschatz.  He volunteered for the hose company.  Ed Mitchell was next to sign for the hose company, and he went out and got nine others:  J.H. Tedens, George Losey, Frank Losey, R. Friedley, John Gerharz, Jerry Murphy, Lois Lott, John Kreigel, and Allison Kettering.  This, in typical Lemont fashion, became known not as Company No. 1, or the Hose Company, but as the "German Company."  The Hook and Ladder Company #2's first signer was J.W. McCarthy, and he enlisted Mr. Bittles, John Hayes, Mr. Hennebry, Mr. Keegan, Mr. Russel, Mike Flavin, William Muranan, Jack Meyer, and Joshua Bell.  This was the "Irish Company."
The department was incorporated March 14, 1886.  At the first meeting of the Volunteer Fire Department, the following officers were elected: President, J.W. McCarthy; Recording Secretary, Edward Mitchell; Finance Secretary, Mike Flavin; Treasurer, John Hayes, and Sergeant-at-Arms, William Muranan.  Joseph Gerharz was appointed Fire Marshal, and Jacob Meyers and Joshua, assistant chiefs.  All men were present in uniform by the cornerstone of the present City Hall. On July 4, 1887, the department held its first picnic. The facts are as follows: $68.30 for beer; $85.50 for beer; $10.20 for beer; $164.00 for beer and $34.80 for cigars. One can image the good times that were had. The department also purchased 12 brass spittoons or cuspidors at 75¢ each. The first portrait of the department was taken in 1898 with a membership of 47 men.
The Village Board provided 1,000 feet of hose which was stored in the town hall.  A hose cart was ordered from Chicago, and was shipped down to Lemont via the I & M canal on a Singer & Talcott stone boat.  It was stored in the Singer & Talcott barn at North Stephen St. opposite of the Village Waterworks.
Lemont had no paved roads at the time, and the firemen pulled the hose cart and pump by hand.  They also had to pull a 100-gallon chemical wagon.  The chemical wagon provided a quick attack on a fire with a smaller-sized hose.  A chemical reaction in the tanks of chemical wagons immediately had water flowing through the hose.  There was a pair of tanks on the chemical wagon filled with a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water. Sulfuric acid was added to a tank at a fire, and the reaction forced the water from the tank. A tank ranged from 40 gallons to 60 gallons. When a tank was nearly empty, acid was dropped into the second tank to keep the water flowing.
 The fire equipment was pulled by manpower, as it would take too long to hitch up horses to the pumper.  If anyone had a team of horses ready at the time of the alarm, he could bring them to the Fire Department and they would pull the pumper to the fire.  The standard pay for such a service was $2.00, paid by the Village.
Chief Gerharz and his assistants did have previous fire fighting experience and were concerned with developing a good outfit.  They often sounded practice alarms to keep the volunteer firemen in shape.
Not all went smoothly in the early days.  Horace Norton recalled one fire when he was in his early years. "There was a two-story brick building in town--the only brick structure in town.  The volunteer department consisted of two companies: The "Irish" on the hook and ladder, and the "German" on the pumper and hose. It was my first big fire.  I was about ten years old.  The flames were making rapid headway by the time our international fire department got to the scene and began putting up their ladders.  But when the two factions got up onto the roof, we could see that something was wrong. Instead of fighting the fire, the Irishmen and Germans began fighting each other.  I was elated! I was not going to be deprived of my chance to see a real fire."
The fight started because the Irish Company got to the fire first.  They teased the German Company when it arrived, and tempers flared.  In the excitement, John Bolton ran down to the Singer and Talcott barn to get the new hose cart.  The only problem was that when he dragged it to the fire, huffing and puffing, he discovered that he had forgotten the hose.  The fighting firemen finally got off the roof of the building just before it collapsed.  All had a narrow escape, and the building, of course, burned completely to the ground.
Needless to say, the two companies learned their lesson.  There was more at stake in serving as volunteer firemen than petty, prideful quarrels.  The group joined together to form an outfit that has served the community with pride and professionalism up to today.

To Top

Bibliographical Information:
Lemont Area Historical Society. "Lemont's Volunteer Fire Department." History & Anecdotes of Lemont, Illinois. 4th ed. Lemont, 1995. 81-82. Print.

Lemont: Fire Department

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen. The purpose of the meeting this evening is organizing the volunteer hose company and a volunteer hook and ladder company." These were the same words that Fire Marshall Joseph Gerharz stated the evening of August 13, 1885. As a result of that meeting, two companies were formed, the hose company No. 1 and the hook and ladder No. 2. The department had two houses, one on Signer hill at State and Eureka. There was also a downtown station which housed the chemical wagon.

A bid for $925 was accepted to build a two-story hose house for the fire department in 1885.

The first fire house bell was purchased for $60 from the Signer & Talcott Stone Co. On November 11, 1885, one hook and ladder truck was purchased for the fire house from the Fire Extinguisher Mfg. Co. for the cost of $575.

There were 11 men on each company; No. 1, Bodenshatz, Friedly, Gerharz, Losey, Ketting, Murphy, Tedens; No. 2, Bittles, Hayes, Hennebry, Keagan, McCarthy, Russel. There are many streets with the names of the firemen. The equipment that the department had at that time was a hose cart and hook and ladder which had to be pulled and pushed by men. However, the chemical wagon was a different situation. The capacity of the tank was 40 gallons of water and had to be filled at all times. When the fire whistle sounded, any farmer or businessman in town would rush to the fire house with their team of horses and hook up to the wagon. They then would receive the sum of $2 for services rendered from the village.

The department was incorporated March 14, 2886. All men were present in uniform by the cornerstone of the present City Hall. On July 4, 2887, the department held its first picnic. The facts are as follows: $68.30 for beer; $85.50 for beer; $10.20 for beer; $164.00 for beer and $34.80 for cigars. One can images the good times that was had. The department also purchased 12 brass spittoons or cuspidors at 75¢ each. The first portrait of the department was taken in 1898 with a membership of 47 men. There were many fires during the early days of the Village of Lemont. The fire department purchased a chemical engine April 4, 1895, at a cost of $1,250.

In September of 1895, a fire destroyed a barn in the rear of J.H. Teden's store. Sunday, October 13, 1895, at 4:00 a.m. a fire was discovered in the rear of Peter Fischbach's saloon. It had enveloped the entire building. Hours of hard work subdued the flames. Excellent work kept the flames from spreading to other structures in the area.

The year 1896 opened with a large fire on a Sunday morning at 3:00 a.m. when the large barn of the Western Stone Co. on North Stephen Street burned. It contained hay. There was a high wind blowing so that it was impossible to save the buildings.

At about 10:00 a.m. the same morning, a fire was discovered in Norton's Warehouse, having caught fire from brands of the earlier fire. This was the last big fire they attended as there were many smaller fires that were not on official records.

On January 12, 1897, four delegates from the Lemont Fire Dept. attended the Fireman's Association of Illinois Convention for the first time. It was held in East St. Louis.

To Top

So the years passed with growth and also the introduction of the first motorized truck, October 6, 1919, an International chassis, a Dodge, then a Chevrolet.

May 1, 1910 Fire Chief Gerharz gave the following report at a village board meeting: "I find we have a good and sufficient supply of water for fighting fires and we can throw a one inch stream 125 ft. or 3 streams of 5/8 inch and 3/4 inch and a 7/8 inch anywhere downtown 90 feet without the extra electric pump on the hill of which we can be proud of as I do not know of any other town of our size that can come near or any way near us and the citizens of Lemont ought to be proud."

January 18, 1918 - The German Lutheran Church burned to the walls. Complete loss.

October 3, 1921 - A bill was submitted for $96 to the LFD for construction of a firehouse on Singer Hill at $1 per hour.

February 6, 1928 - The department purchased rubber boots, coats and leather helmets.

January 7, 1929 - The City Hall to house Dodge truck instead of D & M's Garage.

It was apparent that there was quite a problem of lost hoses, spanners and axes and many other pieces of fire equipment. So on June 4, 1914, the fire department drew up a formal complaint and presented it to the Village Board for action. The village then requested an inventory of the equipment. List as follows:

• 1 1,000 gal. chemical
• 1 6 gal. chemical
• 3 hose carts
• 1 hook and ladder
• 1 drag line and hook
• 2700 ft. hose
• 10 lanterns
• 8 hose nozzles
• 9 hose tips
• 2 siamese connectors
• 16 rubber pails
• 3/4 container chemical power
• 1/2 container vitrol powder
• 1 carbour sulfuric acid
• 5 plug wrench
• 34 chairs
• 6 axes
• 2 crowbars
• 2 pair shafts for apparatus
• 2 pair poles for apparatus
• 2 leather hose carriers
• 2 iron hose carriers
• 1 stove
• 1 hose repair machine
• 1 flag
• 1 desk
• 1 sargent star
• 1 pair dumbells
• 4 pictures, rubber suits, keys and lock

Ordinances:
Fire Prevention Ordinance - April 14, 1880, stated that stoves had to be placed on bricks. Chimneys had to be built according to specifications and inspected at least twice a year. Hay and straw had to be deposited 60 feet away from a house. Candles used in barns or stables had to be secured in a lantern.
The Board of Trustees elected persons to organize a "Hook and Ladder Company" of 20 or more citizens of the village. The committee of citizens appointed to organize this company were Joshua Bell, Jacob Myers and Joseph Gerharz.
On July 22, 1885, the Fire Department was established as an executive department of the municipal government of the Village of Lemont. It consisted of one Fire Mashall, one Second Assistant and as many hook and ladder companies as the Village decided was necessary, without pay.

To Top

1924 - The 40th Annual Ball of the Lemont Volunteer Fire Department was given at Tedans Hall on New Year's Eve. A goodly crown of local and out-of-town guests were in attendance.

And so the years passed, with many improvements and additions to the LFD. However, they also brought the absence of many brother firemen who passed away after giving many years of service to the village of Lemont.

Nov. 1929 - Purchased Dodge fire truck with pump attached.

On June 6, 1938, the village purchased two new fire trucks, a Chevrolet and a Peter Pirsch pumper.

In the ensuing years, the men were sent to various schools and attended U. of I. Fire College.

On April 4, 1955, a building permit was issued to the Lemont Fire Department for the fee of $1.00 for the construction of the firehouse at 416 Main Street.

May 8, 1956, the emergency unit was purchased.

June 3, 1956, the 4500 gal. tanker was purchased.

June 8, 1956, the Department moved to 416 Main Street.

During the year 1957, the department responded to 65 fire calls and 2 drownings. Routine fires and various improvements to the department were made during the years 1958 to 1964.

In 1973, the Lemont Fire Protection District covered 33 square miles in Will, DuPage, and Cook counties. The department owned 3 pumpers, 1 light unit, 1 emergency unit, 1 brush fire truck, 1 boat and one 3200 gallon tanker. There were 52 active members in the department. The department is a member of the DesPlaines Valley Mutual Aid Association, consisting of 20 member departments providing mutual assistance when needed. [Reprinted from The Centennial Book, 1973.]

During the years 1973 to 1998, the Lemont Fire Department has experienced a tremendous amount of growth. To accommodate this new growth, fire station #1 was constructed on New Avenue in 1976. Of significant importance, this was the year the department began to provide paramedic ambulance service by joining the Will/Grundy Emergency Medical System. An interesting fact: Lemont ambulance service was the first in the Will/Grundy system to carry drug supplies for advanced life support. The last years of this decade saw a devastating tornado and one of the largest oil refinery explosions and fires in Midwest history. This would prove to be a challenge to the resources of the department.

In the early 1980's because of industrial growth, the department recognized the need for the information of a "hazardous Materials Response Team" to respond to chemical related emergencies. During the mid-80s, the number of alarms increased as the community grew. The Department responded to the old Gee lumber fire and another major oil refinery fire. In the fall on 1989, while fighting a multiple alarm fire and the old Continental Distillery on New Avenue, a fire was reported in the Weil Butch Block building on 127th Street. After hours and days of hard work, both fires were extinguished, however both were complete losses.

In response to the community growth of the 1990's, station #2 was constructed on Bell Road, dedicated to the late Assistant Chief Clarence Losey. Also during the early years of the decade, Lemont experienced another severe tornado and a marked increase in the volume of requests for services. It was at this time that the demand on services led to the need for a third station on Marmon Drive, dedicated to the men and women of the Lemont Fire Department, present and future.

With the retirement of Chief Robert Kowalski, the board hired its first full-time chief. Terrence Droogan was hired in August of 1993 to manage the current and expected future growth and to lead the department into the 21st century. Richard Stech was named Assistant Chief.

In April of 1994, an early Saturday morning blaze destroyed the Blue Hill Inn tavern on the corner of Sobieski and McCarthy Streets. Also in that year on Memorial Day weekend, another early morning fire claimed the two buildings on the west side of the police station on Main Street. Also in 1994, the Board of Trustees established a full-time Fire Prevention Bureau and hired a full-time director of emergency Medical Services. 1995 began with a large fire at the Lemont House Restaurant on Main Street. In October a full-time maintenance division was formed employing a certified emergency vehicle technician. July of 1996 was memorable for heavy flooding that affected the downtown area and nearly destroyed station #1 on New Avenue. This was one of the many challenges faced by the men and women of the Lemont Fire Department as we draw to the end of this century.

In 1998, the Lemont Fire Protection District encompasses 38 square miles in Cook, DuPage and Will counties. The department employs 85 fire, EMS, administrative and support personnel. Present apparatus includes: 4 pumpers, 1 ladder truck, 1 rescue squad, 2 water tankers, 4 ALS ambulances, 1 hazardous materials truck and trailer, 1 dive team trailer, 1 boat, 8 staff and support vehicles. The Fire Department continues to maintain 24-hour watch at the fire alarm office housed in the station and responds to approximately 2300 calls a year for emergency assistance.

To Top

The original Peter Pirsch 1938 pumper has been restored by the Fireman's association and is proudly displayed at local community events.

The Lemont Fire Protection District is governed by a board of 3 trustees. In 1973 the trustees were: Howard Ludwig, President; John Koski, Secretary; Rich Knoebel, Treasurer. In 1998 the trustees are: Bruce Kipley, President; Bert Ercoli, Secretary; James Durham, Treasurer.

In its 113 year history, the Lemont Fire Department has had a total of 17 Fire Chiefs:

• Joe Gerharz
• Joe Meyer
• William O'Neil
• George Losey
• John Gerharz
• Thomas Ludwig
• Ignatz Sniegowski
• Slvin Steinke
• Ed Kaminski
• James Sierzchula
• Simon Bromberek
• George Smollen
• Robert Kowalski
• Terrence Droogan
• Andy O’ Donnell
• Clyde Peterson
• Carl Churulo

To Top

Bibliographical Information:
Lemont Area Historical Society. "Lemont: Fire Department." Lemont: 125th Anniversary Edition, 1873-1998. 1998. 98-100. Print.