Author name: chrisdrain

In the following pages, Retired Fire Chief Wilbur Bills has attempted to reflect the history of Fire Protection for the Village and City of Delaware as it unfolded from it inception in 1831. Much of the information was secured from reading the Council minutes from 1831 to 1916.

After the original organization of the Fire Department in 1834 by the City Council, the companies went through various changes. A reorganization of the companies took place and a Fire Association was formed in 1846.

Paid members of the Deleware Fire Department.

In 1834 when the Delaware Fire Department was first organized, all personnel were volunteers or “Minute Men,” as they were referred to, until approximately 1870 when full-time drivers for the various pieces of apparatus were hired.

Fire trumpets were used in the early days for the chief officers to shout orders to the firemen at the scene of a fire.