SOUTH RIVER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Public Safety - South River, New Jersey, United States
SOUTH RIVER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Employees
SOUTH RIVER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Details
The South River Fire Department was first organized on February 24, 1896. The first firehouse was located on Ferry Street and was occupied by Protection Hook & Ladder Company and Washington Hose Company. Church and school bells were used to alert approximately 70 men who responded to fires with hand-drawn wagons carrying hoses and ladders.In the early 1900s, South River purchased its first motorized fire engine and the two existing companies merged to form Engine Company #1. The department then moved into the current fire headquarters located on George Street.During the middle of The Great Depression, a small group of men met to form Reliable Fire Company. Only a few years later, the mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters of the firemen joined together to form the Ladies Auxiliary.Over the next 20 years, apparatus were replaced with larger and more advanced vehicles to keep up with the growing population. The alert system used was also upgraded to a call box and air horn system. In 1959, ten men from Engine Company #1 and Reliable Fire Company chartered a third company, Summit Engine Company. It was another 16 years before Summit moved into the "House on the Hill" on Appleby Avenue.The Department has since grown to approximately 100 members, seven apparatus, and three chief's vehicles. In 2010, we responded to over 600 alarms within our 2.6 square mile borough as well as assisting our neighboring towns.
