The History of the Dunnville Volunteer Fire Department

Companies and Apparatus:

Since the mid 1800's, the town of Dunnville has been fortunate to have volunteers who dedicated their lives to ensure the safety of others. The first Dunnville Fire Brigade was formed in Dunnville on September 6, 1847 and was a bucket brigade which proved effective in keeping down the fire loss in the town.

In 1853, the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company was formed to work along with the bucket brigade due to the fact that the town of Dunnville had grown to a population of over 800 people. The first piece of fire fighting equipment purchased by Dunnville was the hand drawn, hand operated fire engine called the Triumph which was bought from the city of Buffalo in 1854 for $200.00. It had been built in England in 1837 and was the first fire engine used by the city of Buffalo.

In 1861, when Buffalo changed from hand operated fire engines to horse drawn steam engines, Dunnville once again bought their modern hand operated fire engine called the George Washington for a sum of $700.00. This one had been built in Seneca Falls New York in 1860 and Dunnville had the distinction of owning the first and last hand operated fire engines used in the city of Buffalo.

The George Washington, as the pumper was called, was renamed The Live Oak and replaced the Triumph as the major fire fighting unit of the town. The Triumph was later placed in storage and in 1887 a fire destroyed the storage shed and the old hand engine.

The hand operated fire engine, "Live Oak" was restored to operating condition in 1967 and is presently standing proudly in the Dunnville Fire Station.

With the advent of the hand pumpers, the bucket brigade was reorganized into the Dunnville Fire Company which included the Live Oak Engine Company, and the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company. Later in 1870, The Live Oak Hose Company was also formed. In 1875 there were 62 members on the roll of the Dunnville Fire Company.

When the town grew larger, and put in water mains and hydrants in 1890, The Live Oak Engine Company, as well as the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company was disbanded and many of its members joined The Live Oak Hose Company which continued as an organization until about 1930 when the name was changed to the Dunnville Volunteer Fire Department.

The first actual truck purchased by the town of Dunnville was a 1 ton Ford bought in 1919 to carry hose and ladders.

In 1931, a 500GPM pumper was purchased from Seagrave of St. Catharines. This truck was also fully restored in recent years and is proudly on display today at the Dunnville Fire Station along side "Live Oak."

In 1947, a 2 ton Ford Truck was purchased as a utility and ladder truck and had a 200GPM pump and a 500 Gallon water tank.

In 1950, a 625GPM, two stage triple combination pump was bought from Bickel-Seagrave of Woodstock.

In 1959, a 3 ton Fargo Truck was purchased to replace the 1947 Ford Utility truck.

In 1968, a 625GPM Ford American LaFrance was purchased. This triple combination pump came with a portable generator and various other pieces of equipment, and remained in service for more than 30 years.

After a devastating fire ravaged the downtown core, the town of Dunnville realized that a ladder truck was needed for fire protection in the downtown sector due to its multiple story structures. So In 1980, the town purchased a 75 foot King Telesquirt on a Ford Chassis with a 840GPM pump. This very essential piece of fire fighting equipment made a huge difference immediately as it greatly enhanced the fire protection in the town of Dunnville.

In 2006, this apparatus was fully refurbished to current NFPA standards and is back in service where it all began at the Dunnville Fire station. Even today is remains one of the most valuable pieces of fire equipment in all of Haldimand County due to its versatility in all aspects of fire fighting.

In 1986, The town of Dunnville purchased a small 1 ton Chevrolet Rescue Unit. This rescue unit remained in service until early in 2009.

In 1990, a Ford Gruman 1050GPM pumper was purchased as the new front line pumper for the town of Dunnville. This truck proudly accompanied the Rescue Unit and the Telesquirt for 12 years until it was reassigned to Lowbanks in 2002 where it is now the front line pumper in that district.

2002 saw the purchase of the current pumper at the Dunnville Station. A 2002 Pierce Custom Contender with a 1050GPM pump. This apparatus can hold up to 6 fire fighters and is the current first responding vehicle to any emergency.

Finally, 2009 saw the purchase of the newest truck at the Dunnville station. A 2008 medium rescue which replaced the overloaded 1986 light rescue. This Freightliner chassis can carry up to six fire fighters to calls and currently transports all of the stations auto-extrication equipment. The new "Rescue 9" also has a defibrillator on board as well as medical supplies for medical emergencies.