Friendship Fire Co. #1

125 years ago today - August 1st, 1899 - Friendship Fire Company #1, turns over the deed of the Cooper Street firehouse to the city.  Moving day into the Delaware Street firehouse was Friday August 4, 1899. Present day location at 29 Delaware Street.

Our next fundraiser is a Cairns N5A Leather Helmet. $25 a spot through July 30th. Drawing August 6th at 1830 hours. Unlimited spots.

The Friendship Fire Company #1 would like to congratulate this year’s 2024 David A. Laverty Scholarship Winner. This year the fire company selected two Woodbury High School Seniors Austin Sylvester and Leigha Noel-Davis .

The Memorial Scholarship is given out every year in memory of Dave Laverty. Dave was President of the Friendship Fire Company from 1975 to 1985 after his untimely passing.  As a member, Dave also worked for the City of Woodbury in the Public Works Department, Dave died while working at the City Pumping Station on Hunter Street on September 5th, 1985. It was reported that Dave recused another city employee from a confined space and then never re-surfaced from the well himself. 

We would like to wish Austin and Leigha good luck in their future endeavors, and Congratulations to all of the 2024 graduates of Woodbury High School.

The Friendship Fire Company extends our sympathy to the entire Fanslau Family along with the officers and members of the Thorofare Fire Company, Ken was a faithful servant who served his community for 67 years and 25 years as Chief. Rest Easy Chief we have it from here.

Mr. Kenneth W. Fanslau Sr. - View Obituary & Service Information Share Memories and Support the Family.

In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Members out supporting the 4th Annual Golf event today

Blast from the past - 141 years ago - May 17, 1883 - Friendship Fire Company incorporation papers were filed with the state with 30 active members.  Friendship Fire Company was founded in 1830.

Gone but Not Forgotten
Firefighter James Neal
Line Number 365
Joined: September 28,1950
Departed: May 7,2023
73 years of Dedicated Service

Almost forgot - Blast from the Past - 115 years ago - May 2, 1909 - First recorded mutual aid response in the company minutes was to Paulsboro with the chemical engine, hose wagon, and the hook & ladder. The company made “the five-mile run in 29 minutes”.

https://weekend.firehero.org/events/memorial-weekend/bells-across-america/

Bells Across America for Fallen Firefighters - Memorial Weekend Bells will ring from coast to coast as a grateful nation pauses on Sunday, May 5, 2024 to honor those firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and previous years.

Blast from the Past

32 years ago - April 30, 1992 - The last of the Gamewell fire alarm boxes are removed from the streets of Woodbury.  Box 4 - in front of Friendship Firehouse was the last to be removed and replaced with a direct hotline phone to the county communication center.  Box 4 can now be seen in our museum.

In 1992 when the Gamewell boxes were removed the City offered them to the members of the fire department a lot of these boxes still exist today. Box 4 along with Box 331 which stood at W Centre and Harrison Street are on display in our Museum

Blast from the Past

231 years ago - April 29,1793 - Samuel Mickle, Andrew Hunter, Dr. George W. Campbell and General Franklin Davenport formed a subscription list to buy fire buckets.  This first written account of the citizens taking steps to provide fire protection in Woodbury was in the dairy of Samuel Mickle.

A Blast from the Past - THE START of Fire Protection in the City of Woodury began TODAY - 225 years ago - April 27, 1799 - A subscription list for a new hand engine was signed with eleven members signing that day. In the process the Woodbury Fire Company was founded.  This was the first official fire organization in Woodbury and the direct predecessor to Friendship Fire Company #1 thirty-one years later.

A Double Blast from the past

119 years ago - April 25, 1905 - City Council passes an ordinance allowing the Delaware and Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Company to install telephone poles and wires throughout the city.  As part of the ordinance allowing the installation, the telephone company must provide phones for the fire chief residence and both firehouses with free usage of said phones as well as phones for the police and other city officials.

109 years ago - April 25, 1915 Another serious fire at the High School causing over $10,000 worth of damage. This time the building is saved. This sped up purchase of the two 1916 Ahrens-Fox K-3 motorized engines that were discussed at a city fire committee meeting the month before.

Happy 100th Anniversary to the Pennsville Fire & Rescue 1924-2024!

A Blast from the Past

Today 113 years ago on April 18, 1911 - The new Ahrens-Fox Continental steam engine arrived. The engine was tested pumping water from the creek on Saturday, April 22nd with all the firemen, city officials, and visiting firemen present.

The City of Woodbury placed the order in January of 1911, the steamer was the “Continental" model serial # 184. This engine was a “3rd size” engine and rated at 600-gpm and weighs in at 6800 pounds. The steamer cost $5,150. The steamer was housed at Friendship and was the front-line piece until 1916 when it was replaced by two gasoline-powered Ahrens-Fox pumpers.

In January of 1962, the Ahrens Fox Steam Engine was given to the Vigilant Fire Engine Company in Oreland, Pennsylvania for exhibition in a planned museum. By 1986 this museum had not yet materialized. Members of Friendship Fire Company went to Oreland and brought the steamer home in April of that year. The steamer remained in a member’s garage until October1994 when the Fire Museum was built in the rear of the firehouse by our members.

The steam engine and pump were completely rebuilt by our members and on August 2nd, 1998, 12 years after it returned the Ahrens Fox Steam Engine was pumped under its power for the first time in what is believed to be the first time in 43 years in a training session on Wood Street.

The first public display of the Engine after its return was October 10, 1998, at the Deptford Mall during a fire prevention display, After this it attended many displays and parades throughout the East Coast and was drawn by Belgian Draft Horses by a local farmer in East Greenwich Township.

Until August 28, 2003, the company decided due to the uncertainty of the State rules, lack of transportation, company liability, training issues, and the number of hours it takes to maintain the steamer in pumping condition versus the number of hours that it publicly pumps, to retire the steamer to just a museum piece. The steamer was last pumped on October 14, 2000, at the Deptford Mall.

Present Day The Engine is Displayed in our Fire Museum at 29 Delaware Street, the engine is displayed in the annual Woodbury Fall Festival Parade.

If you are interested in visiting our museum contact us today to set an appointment at [email protected]

Lieutenant Charles Gindele of Ladder 3 is an honorary member of the Friendship Fire Company 1, who was injured during this fire in Philadelphia April 15,1961

Check out Bridgeport Vol. Fire Dept 125th Anniversary Facebook getting ready for their 125th Anniversary in 2025!

Bridgeport Vol. Fire Dept 125th Anniversary Fire station

A Blast from the Past

126 years ago on March 25, 1898 - The First newspaper report of mutual aid given by Friendship Fire Company was for the Gloucester City conflagration fire that started at the William Thomas Boat Works. The fire occurred on March 24, 1898 destroyed the boat works, four houses, and damaged four other houses. Both Woodbury and Camden fire departments were summoned. Friendship and Good Will arrived in 17 minutes after being called, by horse. Today, the 4.5 miles would only take about 10 minutes to drive.

Just a reminder, we sent our fund drive letters out a few weeks ago. Thank you to those who have already donated. Donations will be used towards improvements to the museum, and firehouse, and keeping the nearly 200 years of history alive, donations will also go towards a scholarship for a Woodbury HS Senior. There is still time to donate. Please consider donating today. Follow the QR links below.