Springboro VFD

SPRINGBORO VOL. FIRE DEPT.

It was December 1931 that the Fire department organized, but their formal charter was not adopted until 1932. The first officers were: President, Kenneth G. Fuller; Vice President, Frank Brigdon; Treasurer, John Kramer; Secretary, J. Ford Hyde. Chief was Charles Van Slyke; Assistant Chief, Joe Kimmel; Captain, Brian Worden; First Lieutenant, Albert Van Slyke; Second Lieutenant, Maurice Hershelman.

The first piece of equipment was a Model T. Ford chemical truck which was owned by the Council and obtained after the big fire of 1912, when the east business block burned. As early as 1895, the town council was considering fire protection and authorized $106.88 for chemical fire extinguishers. The earliest fire fighting device was the high pressure water system installed by Dr. W. J. Sheldon in 1912 and used in fighting fires in the hotel.