The 1930s

In 1930, the fire company addressed an ongoing problem involving hose failure and replacement costs. At the time, the company had no hose tower in which to dry wet hose properly. As a result, valuable hose was frequently damaged because it could not be dried correctly after use. Both the practical need to preserve equipment and the expense of replacing hose contributed to the decision to add a 35-foot hose tower to the Main Street station. The tower was constructed along the lines of similar towers recently erected by Baltimore County companies, and a platform was built on top for the future installation of a siren.

In 1935, ambulance service in Harford County began with the arrival of two Maryland State Police ambulances. These ambulances were stationed at the Conowingo and Wilna barracks, neither of which exists today. Their primary responsibility was transporting patients involved in road accidents, but they also responded to other emergencies.

In April 1938, the fire company purchased its first electric siren from the Federal Electric Company of Chicago for $500. The siren replaced the fire bell, which had become inadequate. The bell’s striking system had already been modified to reduce vibrations affecting the courthouse, but the growing size of the town and the increasing distance of members’ residences from the center of town made the bell ineffective. Mounted on top of the firehouse hose tower, the siren could be heard within a two-mile radius under all conditions and, in general conditions, from 12 to 15 miles away. With the installation of the siren, there would no longer be a distinction between fires within Bel Air and those outside town limits. The siren was programmed to sound seven times within a minute and a half.

In 1939, the threads on Bel Air’s hydrants had become a serious concern. Apparatus coming into town for a fire had no way to connect to the hydrants because the threads were not standardized. Before they could establish a connection, they had to obtain a special adapter from Bel Air apparatus already on the scene. An agreement was reached between the Town of Bel Air and the Maryland Water Works Company to retrofit all fire hydrants with the national thread recommended by the Underwriters Association and already in general use elsewhere. This change also helped reduce fire insurance rates in the business district.

On August 17, 1939, a meeting was held at the firehouse that resulted in the formation of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company. Mrs. Katherine King was elected as the organization’s first president. The Auxiliary remained active until World War II. During the war years, many women joined the armed services or filled positions left vacant by men serving their country, including many jobs created by wartime industry. These demands placed a hardship on the Auxiliary, and it became inactive. An attempt was made to reorganize the Auxiliary in 1947, but the effort failed. In 1950, Fire Company President Frank L. Hiser led another effort to reestablish the Auxiliary, and this time it was successful.

Also in 1939, the fire company assumed responsibility for providing ambulance service and purchased its first ambulance. The unit was a 1938 Continental chassis that had formerly been a hearse. The chassis and motor were overhauled in a local Bel Air garage, and the unit was then sent to Baltimore to have the custom body equipped with the latest stretcher, first aid kits, and other accessories. The ambulance was placed into service on January 23, 1939. Fourteen firemen completed first aid training under Dr. P. B. Hopkins and staffed the unit.

By 1939, the fire company was also beginning to feel the effects of wear and tear on its two pumpers, the 1924 Seagrave and the 1929 GMC American LaFrance. Both units were experiencing increasing mechanical problems and lengthy breakdowns. After several conferences between the fire company, the Town of Bel Air, and numerous apparatus vendors, an order was placed on December 26, 1939, with the Mack Truck Corporation of Baltimore for a Mack Type 50 pumper. The Town of Bel Air purchased the pumper for the fire company at a cost of approximately $6,000.

This pumper was always referred to as “The Little Mack” or the “Town Truck” because it was intended to remain in town to answer local alarms. It did, however, respond to out-of-town calls if the other pumper was already committed or out of service. The unit was equipped with a Hale two-stage Class B 500-GPM pump, a 100-gallon booster tank, a booster reel with 150 feet of ¾-inch hose mounted at the rear, 1,200 feet of 2½-inch hose, a 24-foot wooden extension ladder, and a 14-foot wooden roof ladder. It also carried all necessary appliances and tools. The unit arrived in Bel Air at the end of March 1940, and its first call was on April 1, 1940, at the Farlow Motors Building fire. It remained in active service until February 2, 1972, when its final call was the Main Street Groundhog Day fire, where it served as the air unit.

While apparatus demonstrations were being held for the new pumper the town would purchase, discussions also began within the company about acquiring another new pumper to replace both of the existing units. At the March 1, 1940, fire company meeting, considerable discussion took place regarding the need for a “rural” piece of apparatus. The conversation centered on the age of the existing apparatus and the prohibitive cost of rebuilding and outfitting the current unit for rural calls. It was decided to purchase a new fire engine for use in rural communities. On March 5, 1940, the order was placed with the Mack Truck Corporation of Baltimore for a Mack Type 45 pumper. The cost was $3,875, plus the trade-in of the 1924 Seagrave pumper and the 1929 GMC American LaFrance pumper.

According to Mack factory chassis records and the engine’s arrival in Bel Air within 30 days of the order, it is believed that this unit was a demonstrator. Like the Type 50, it saw its first action on April 1, 1940, at the Farlow Motors Building fire. It is interesting to note that both the 1939 Mack Type 50 and the Mack Type 45 arrived in Bel Air within days of one another and both had their first service at the same fire.

The Type 45 was equipped with a Hale two-stage Class B 500-GPM pump, a 150-gallon booster tank, a booster reel with 150 feet of ¾-inch hose, 1,200 feet of 2½-inch hose, a 24-foot wooden extension ladder, and a 14-foot wooden roof ladder. It also carried all necessary appliances and tools. Within a year of delivery, a steel tank extension was added to increase the booster tank capacity to 250 gallons. A 35-foot extension ladder was also added and mounted on a custom A-frame over the hose bed.

On November 25, 1941, while en route to Darlington for a fire at the Thomas residence, the unit was involved in an accident at the Hickory intersection when it was run off the road into a tree. The chassis was so badly damaged that the apparatus had to be rechassised. The timing created an additional challenge, as America’s entry into World War II began just two weeks later. Because of wartime restrictions, the federal government had to authorize Mack to replace the chassis. Authorization was secured with the help of Senator Millard Tydings because Bel Air’s only other apparatus at the time was the 1940 Mack Type 50 pumper, and the fire company was serving not only Bel Air but also a large portion of Harford County.

When the apparatus was repaired, it technically became a 1942 Mack Type 45, although the 1938 body was reused. It returned to service in Bel Air on March 28, 1942. It remained with the fire company until 1947, when it was sold to the Fountaindale Volunteer Fire Department in Adams County, Pennsylvania.

In April 1941, the Harford County Commissioners took advantage of recent legislation and agreed to pay $1,500 toward the cost of a new ambulance so the fire company could provide countywide service. The fire company also traded in the 1938 Continental ambulance toward the purchase. In early 1941, a Packard-Henney ambulance was purchased from the A. G. Geissel Coach Company of Philadelphia for $3,885. It was equipped with all the modern medical equipment of the time and remained in service until 1950.

In those early years, the fire company covered a very large portion of Harford County. Its response area extended from Route 1 south to Kingsville; Route 1 north to Conowingo Dam; Route 22 to Level and Churchville; Route 924 to Route 7 on the south side of Joppa-Magnolia; the Big Gunpowder River in Baltimore County; and Rocks Road to Route 165.

Many times, these units responded to sick calls with only the driver aboard, hoping that a doctor or someone else would be at the residence to help. Originally, all automobile accidents were handled by the State Police ambulance. The engine also responded to auto accidents, but the only rescue tools available were a jack, crowbar, sledgehammer, and axe.

On October 20, 1941, the fire company received two all-service masks from the Conowingo Power Company. These were filter-type masks that could only be used when 15 percent or more oxygen was present. Resembling military gas masks, they were considered essential equipment for a modern firefighting force. Their arrival marked the beginning of an era in which firefighters could enter burning buildings filled with smoke and gases.

Later in 1941, with the continued purchase of additional equipment, the fire company once again found itself in need of larger quarters. On December 15, 1941, the company purchased the old Neuman Ice Cream plant, owned by the Borden Company, which stood directly behind the Main Street firehouse, for $6,800. At the same time, it sold the Main Street firehouse and adjoining residence to Louis Hollander of York, Pennsylvania. As part of the sale, the fire company reserved the right to remove the hose tower.

It was decided that the tower would not be disassembled, but instead moved in its entirety to its new location, 150 feet away at the new firehouse. On February 1, 1942, members of the fire company gathered with ropes, pulleys, and rollers. Stabilized by ropes, the tower was successfully moved into its new position.