During the disastrous forest fire of July 11, 1911 a loose, yet organized group of volunteer firefighters saved many buildings in Golden City, fighting the fire by bucket brigade. That town had the Porcupine Camp’s first official fire brigade under the direction of Fire Chief, George Bannerman.From the time of the incorporation of the Town of Timmins in 1912 until 1924, the department remained a volunteer organization. There was no official by-law or council resolution that even named a fire chief until 1916, when E.H. Hill took the position for one year and was replaced by Pembroke native, Bob Day. Day only stayed 2 weeks. Fire Chiefs who followed were: Alec Borland, William Stanley, Jim Morton, Bill Martin, Rolly Tremblay, Bert Schaeffer, Lester Cudmore and today’s chief, Mike Pintar.
Equipment in 1916 consisted of varying lengths of fire hose left on street corners, close to possible fire dangers. By 1917 fire call boxes were installed on poles in various neighbourhoods and teams of horses did the transport of hoses. The department however, didn’t own any horses so when the fire alarm rang, it was the first man to hitch up his own team, who got paid.
Soon the department owned two teams of horses and when not doing fire-fighting duties, the horses were put to work pulling stumps from the streets. The horses continued their work with the fire department until 1935.
In 1924, an addition was made to the fire hall, which at that time was situated on the corner of Algonquin and Cedar Street, next door to the present City Hall. In 1925, the Timmins Fire Department purchased a motorized hose carrier and a chemical tank truck. With the truck, they also got 2 canister facemasks and an inhalator. By the time the horses were retired in 1935, the department had also purchased a ladder truck and a pickup truck. An old police car was remodelled and put into service.
In 1938, a 1000-gallon pumper truck was purchased and ten years later an enclosed-cab pumper was bought. Radio communication was installed in 1954, between the fire hall and the major pumper, making the Timmins Fire Department the first in Northern Ontario to have two-way communication – with just 2 units.
By 1957, the (Town of) Timmins Fire Department was made up of 27 paid firefighters and 20 volunteers. The same year, they moved into their present headquarters, which was built at a cost of $180,000.
In 2002, the department covered an area of 1,235 square miles and was served by a total of 182 personnel. The value of the trucks alone was more than $4 million.
There is much camaraderie among firefighters, yet when that alarm rings, they are prepared to enter into the deadly serious business of saving lives and property, and of teamwork and brotherhood.
That’s my view from Over the Hill.
