History

Wilkes-Barre was incorporated as a borough on March 17, 1806. One year later, on March 31, 1807, Councilman Charles Miner made a motion to appoint a committee to explore the possibility of purchasing firefighting equipment. That was the birth of the City of Wilkes-Barre Bureau of Fire.

At first there was a bucket brigade. It was not until the spring of 1818 that Wilkes-Barre obtained it first piece of fire equipment, the Davey Crockett. It was a used, hand operated pump which was purchased from the Philadelphia Fire Department for the sum of $300. The first steam engine was an Amoskeag, named Mechanic, which was purchased in 1870. It was pulled by firefighters, and was housed at Protection Company on West South Street.

The drivers and stokers were paid; callout men received fifty cents per hour. By 1905 the Bureau of Fire had thirteen pieces of apparatus. All were horse-drawn; this included five steamers. In April, 1915 the Bureau of Fire was fully staffed by career firefighters. In 1920 every piece of apparatus was motorized.

 

"Wilkes-Barre's First Bureau of Fire"

"Car of Wilkes-Barre's first Fire Chief"