History of the Amherst Fire District

 

The present Amherst Fire District can track its roots back to the earliest fire department in our area, the Amherst Fire Department.

 

It has been reported in the Amherst newspaper (formerly the Amherst Advocate and the Tomorrow River Times) that following a major fire that burned several buildings in downtown Amherst in 1900, the Village of Amherst decided to create a fire department. Up until this time, fire protection was provided by everyone “pitching in” to the community “bucket brigade” whenever there was a fire.

 

To make the department a reality, in December of 1900 the Village of Amherst (Amherst was incorporated as a village in 1899) established a $3,000 bond for the building of a pumping station and water main system to supply fire hydrants located throughout the village.

 

On July 19, 1901 the Amherst Fire Department was officially organized and training began immediately. Equipment consisted of two hose carts (also known as hose wagons), hoses, fittings, and other equipment. In September of 1901, the department added a hook and ladder, rubber coats and helmets, and other equipment. The three pieces of apparatus could be pulled to the scene by either horses or the department’s manpower.

 

The Amherst Fire Department fought its first fire on September 11, 1901. An alarm was turned in for a fire at the high school. The newly-formed department was credited with saving the school by their quick and effective actions.

 

In November 1901, a 500 pound bell was purchased to speed the process of notifying the firemen when there was a fire (at the time they were referred to as firemen, the present term is firefighter). The bell was replaced by an electric siren in 1931 (the bell was still rung for a fire meetings and public reporting of a fire, but the siren did the notification of the firemen). The siren remained in continuous service until 1992, when the siren was replaced by radio-pagers. The siren (actually, an updated one), which is tested in Amherst every day at noon, 6 pm, and 9 pm, is now used to warn local residents of severe weather. The bell is on display at the Amherst Fire District station or the Amherst Village Hall.

 

The first Fire Chief of the Amherst Fire Department was John Bergholte, and the first badge (badge number 1) was issued to Frank Hjertberg, a member of the Hook and Ladder Company (this badge is on display at the Amherst Fire District station).

 

In 1940, the Amherst Fire Department purchased a new Chevrolet/Darley Pumper (Engine). This was the first motorized apparatus the department purchased and remained in continuous service until it was retired in 1992. The Amherst Fire District still has Hose Carts No. 1 and No. 2, Hook and Ladder Wagon No. 1, and the Chevrolet/Darly Pumper, all of which are displayed at various times throughout the year.

 

In 1992, the Amherst Fire Department merged with the neighboring Nelsonville Fire Department which provided fire protection for the Villages of Nelsonville and Amherst Junction, and the Township of Amherst to create the present Amherst Fire District.

 

During its existence, the Amherst Fire Department primarily had two homes. It was initially housed in the first floor of the old Village Hall on North Main Street (presently this is an attorney’s office) and on Mill Street (there were also a couple of “temporary homes” along the way, of course). Not long after the Amherst Fire Department merged with the Nelsonville Fire Department to create the Amherst Fire District, property was purchased just outside of the village limits at the corner of Fairgrounds Road and Packer Avenue, where the present station was built in 1995.