By Marilyn May
Milford History
A 1928 photo of the fire headquarters on Factory Lane in Milford. Photo courtesy of Marilyn May.
The Milford Fire Company dates from May 1838 when at its first gathering each man agreed to donate 75 cents toward the purchase of a fire engine. A few months later at a December meeting, it was decided to add a hose to the purchase.
Prior to this, Milford went almost 200 years without a fire department. Almost all structures were made of wood and neighborhood water bucket brigades just couldn’t get the big fires out.
These men met in each other’s homes to organize a firefighting unit to protect the public and save structures from conflagrations. Because of their dedication and vision, by 1840 the town gave them the use of a small building behind Town Hall that became Milford’s first fire headquarters. A year later, the Milford Fire Company’s name was changed to Wepawaug Fire Company No. 1. On the east side of City Hall there is a small rock with a plaque that commemorates the fire department’s first the hundred years, from 1838 to 1938.
The first fire headquarters eventually became too small. A larger firehouse was constructed in 1855 on Railroad Avenue, just north of today’s train tracks. Although their apparatus was called a fire “engine,” it must be remembered that in the earliest days the equipment was pulled by the firefighters and later by horses. One story recounts how the men were delayed from getting to a fire because a team of horses could not be found. Meanwhile, many volunteers arrived at the fire by bicycle.
The company’s name was changed in 1858 to the Artic Engine Fire Company No. 1 in honor of the Artic fire engine that was bought from the New Haven Fire Department.
For many years, the Artic Engine Company No. 1 was the only fire headquarters in Milford. Today there three other stations: the East Side Fire Station (Station 5) at 980 New Haven Ave.; the North Side Fire Station (Station 7) at 55 Wheelers Farm Rd.; and the West Side Fire Station (Station 8) at 349 Naugatuck Ave.
In 1915, a third central fire house was built at 13 Factory Ln. It housed two fire trucks, and if you look at the building today you can see where two bay doors once were located. In later years that building was occupied by the Milford Laundro-Mart, and now it is the Lee Lund Studio of Dance.
MFD faced new challenges as each decade passed. The railroad was built across the length of the town by 1848, adding another level of response required when there was a train crash or derailment. Later, firefighters had to respond to high-speed vehicle accidents on the Merritt Parkway (opened in 1938) and on I-95 (opened in 1958).
The Milford Fire Headquarters we see today on 72 New Haven Ave. was constructed in 1928. It is the fourth base of operations, and the planners should be praised for erecting so large a building that it has served Milford for 93 years.
The emergency call figure for 2021 is projected to be about 8,500, and that number is forecasted to reach 10,000 calls in the future, according to 30-year veteran firefighter Chris Zak, the chief of planning, safety and training within the Milford Fire Department.
There are 113 firefighters who operate a four-platoon system. Personnel work 24 hours on followed by three days off. There are 25 individuals on duty each day in addition to administrative support staff, Zak said.
Could the first firefighters in the 1800s ever imagine needing a jet ski?
“The MFD has three marine units. Marine 1 is a 27-foot fire boat, Marine 2 is a 19-foot fire boat and Marine 3 is a jet ski,” Zak said. “We respond to more than 30 water rescues a year and many lives are saved using this tiered response for water rescues.”
MFD personnel train constantly for all kinds of emergencies. There are 26 licensed paramedics, and Milford is unique in that it has three ambulances that transport patients to hospitals, according to Zak.
While the earliest firefighters mainly put out fires, today the department also works on preventing fires. Fire marshals (a division of the department) check for proper installations of heating units and set seating maximums for restaurants, meeting rooms and other public spaces. They investigate the causes of fires and monitor reports of fire code violations. The department operates under the oversight of a Board of Fire Commissioners.
“Firefighters must meet certain training requirements and train each day since our skills are perishable and technology is constantly changing,” said Zak. “Training is also conducted by members who take classes at the Connecticut Fire Academy.”
The MFD operates three engine companies, two ladder companies, one rescue squad company, three ambulances and one battalion vehicle every day, he said.
There are 13 certified divers and many skilled in handling emergency evacuations along Milford’s 17-mile, sometimes flooded shoreline.
They also check the working order of more than 1,700 fire hydrants, a figure that is growing as new housing developments and condos are built.
“MFD is an all-hazards response department. You name it and we will respond,” Zak explained.
Imagine: all this, and much more, started with 75 cent contributions.
Marilyn May is a lifelong resident of Milford and a member of the board of the Milford Historical Society.
Good article. The term fire engine refers to the fire pump, not the motor that powers the vehicle. Early fire engines were hand pumps followed by steam pumps. During the early 20th century gasoline (later diesel) motors took over powering the fire engine (pump).