The Fire Department
It all began one evening in 1957 when Garth Young was sitting at the table playing crib with friends. His sister ran in and said she could see flames in a window upstairs as she was driving down the road. Garth and his father each grabbed a bucket of water and ran upstairs, but there was nothing they could do.
There was no fire department in Musquodoboit Harbour. They called Lands and Forests (now called the Department of Natural Resources) who showed up later with a portable pump and some hose. But by now, the two story house was in flames and the dozen family members who lived there could only watch helplessly as it burned to the ground.
The loss motivated Garth Young and other people in the community to establish their own fire department.
By 1960 Garth Young was clearing land for the new station. A year later the Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department was born and he became one of its original members. The Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department formed in 1961 with the fire hall opening on October 6, 1964.
The first piece of equipment they had was a trailer with a pump on it. It had compartments on each side into which they were able to put extra equipment, such as hoses. The first truck they had was a 1957 milk truck that they bought in 1963 from a farmer.
The Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary formed in February 1967.
In 1996, Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and the County of Halifax amalgamated into what is today the Halifax Regional Municipality. Dozens of fire departments merged into the Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Services, and the Musquodoboit Harbour Volunteer Fire Department received the designation of "Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency, Station 24."
On June 13, 2008, The station was actively involved in the Porter's Lake fire, one of the biggest forest fire in Nova Scotia's history. Members spent 5 days working side-by-side with the Department of Natural Resources.
On October 6, 2008, the station was manned with career staff for the very first time. From October 6, 2008 to December 31, 2008, the crew was made up of a career Lieutenant and a casual worker taken from the station's own volunteers. On January 1, 2009 the station was officially manned with career staff, Monday to Friday, with anywhere between 2 and 4 personnel, depending on the needs.
Read more about this topic: Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia, History, Other Services
Famous quotes containing the words fire and/or department:
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. To a man laboring under calamity, the heat of his own fire hath sadness in it.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
““Which is more important to you, your field or your children?” the department head asked. She replied, “That’s like asking me if I could walk better if you amputated my right leg or my left leg.””
—Anonymous Parent. As quoted in Women and the Work Family Dilemma, by Deborah J. Swiss and Judith P. Walker, ch. 2 (1993)