History

The Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company began in 1938 when community members became concerned about the lack of fire protection in the area.  The company was not officially organized until one year later in 1939, when the original 12 members began servicing the village of Thorndale.  The charter of the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company was issued on April 18, 1939.  The first piece of apparatus owned by the fire company was a 1939 Chevrolet chassis, which was purchased from F. Hoffman a local Chevrolet dealer in Coatesville for $669.00.  A firefighting body was built by U.S. Fire Apparatus to house the pump, tank, and hose bed.  U.S. Fire Apparatus loaned the fire company a 1925 International pumper to use while the new Chevrolet pumper was being built in there Wilmington, Delaware factory.  The 1939 Chevrolet pumper had an open cab, 250 gallon per minute pump, and 200 gallons of water. In addition to the new pumper, members also acquired a used chemical engine from the Radnor Fire Company in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  This chemical engine was a 1929 Chevrolet with a Hale body and equipped with two chemical tanks.  This chemical engine was only used by the fire company from 1940 until 1951, when it was sold to the Goshen Fire Company in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

The G.O. Carlson Company donated a 1000 gallon tractor trailer tanker with a 1940 Ford tractor in 1940 to the young fire company.  For a fire company at this time, it was very impressive to have fleet consisting of one brand new pumper, a chemical engine, and tanker truck.  In 1949 the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company proudly built its first fire station which is still owned and utilized as a rental property by the company today.  This brick building can be seen along Lincoln Highway next to the Caln Elementary School. Several of the members helped build this station to keep costs down. The mortgage for this building was burned in 1951 after a lot of hard work by the original members.

 The 50’s and 60’s saw a few new pieces of apparatus for the fire company.  A 1951 Ford F-700 with American LaFrance body, 500 gallon per minute pump and 500 gallons of water was purchased new for $10,842.  In 1952 a Willeys Jeep with a 100 gallon per minute pump and 80 gallon tank was acquired for handling brush fires in the area.  There was only one apparatus purchased in the 60’s, which was a 1961 Ford C-800 with a National Foam body, 750 gallon per minute pump and 750 gallons of water.  This engine had a gas motor, 5 speed manual transmission and was delivered at a cost of $17,000.  During the late 60’s the fire company began to use radios for communication.  Prior to this emergency calls were received at a local gas station or at the home of the fire chief.  Members were alerted by a bell that was rung or the siren as seen in the photo above.  The location and information about the call was written on a chalk board for the responding members to see as they entered the firehouse.

In 1970, Fire Chief Norman Beale reported the company responded to 110 incidents for the year with a majority being grass and woods fires.  In 1971 a Ford C-900 Engine was delivered to the company.  This Engine was almost identical to the previous engine purchased ten years earlier and replaced the 1951 engine.  Several other pieces of apparatus were purchased in the 70’s.  A 1972 International/Pierce mini-pumper was acquired as an initial attack piece.  This unit had 4x4 capabilities, 250 gallon per minute pump, 275 gallons of water, and 10 gallons of foam.  The extended front bumper with wrap around rail made this the perfect field fire piece because members could sit on the front bumper and extinguish the fire as the vehicle drove.  This 1972 International/Pierce was purchased from Jack Asseto Fire Equipment located next to the Double D Diner at the City of Coatesville and Caln Township line.  This unit was a demo and had may have ran a few fire calls in Parkesburg, where Jack was a member prior to Thorndale purchasing.  Three years later a 1975 Jeep CJ-5 brush buggie was delivered on June 7^th.  This vehicle had 250 gallon per minute pump mounted on an extended front bumper and a 100 gallon tank.  The 70’s brought yet another piece of apparatus to the Thorndale fleet, a 1977 Ford F-350 with a custom Pierce non-walk in body.  The vehicle was originally utilized as a cascade unit, then later a rescue unit.  It was eventually sold to the Martins Corner Fire Company in Chester County Pennsylvania.  During the 70’s, the fire company also decided to change its apparatus colors from all red to an all lime green color scheme.  The 1975 Jeep CJ-5 was the first vehicle to be delivered with the new company’s color.

The 80’s saw three additions to the fleet of the company.  The first occurred in 1982 when a Sutphen was delivered with a 1500 gallon per minute pump and 750 gallons of water.  The new engine replaced the 1961 Ford C-800/National Foam, which was sold at a truck auction.  The Sutphen was the first engine in the company to have a canopy cab with jump seats, top mounted pump controls, and an alteration to the colors which brought a white roof to the slime lime.  The Sutphen, designated as Engine 38-1, was housed during June 1983 at a cost of $122,000.  To alleviate the stress on the 1977 Ford F-350/Pierce a used rescue truck was purchased from the Clearfield Fire Company in Clearfield County, Pennsylania during 1984.  This 1972 Ford C-900 four wheel drive chassis with a walk-in Bruco body was designated as Rescue 38 and served the company for five years.  In 1989 the apparatus was taken out of service due to a severe rust problem with the body and was last seen in the Great Valley Salvage Yard.  A brand new replacement rescue was ordered and delivered at a cost of $182,000.  It was a 1989 Mack MC chassis with a custom walk in Swab box.  The unit replaced Rescue 38, the 1972 Ford F-900/Bruco and Squad 38, the 1977 Ford F-350/Pierce.  The new apparatus had a 12 KW Onan diesel generator and a 4-bottle 5000 PSI cascade system.  Another new paint scheme adorned this new rescue truck, white with slime lime stripes and orange pin stripes.  The rescue truck also featured the new mascot for the company, which was dragon wearing a fire helmet and holding the jaws of life.

The 1990’s was a busy time for the fire company bringing a new building and a few new vehicles.  The fire house built in 1949 only had three bays, which were packed full with apparatus including; Engine 38-1 (1982 Sutphen), Engine 38-3 (1971 Ford/National Foam), and Brush 38 (1975 Jeep/Brush Buggie).  Rescue 38 (1989 Mack/Swab) and Tac 38 (1972 International/Pierce) were parked in other small buildings on the fire company property.  In addition, the quarters for the station were cramped as well as the club room for the fire company.  A new station was disparately needed and was built in 1992.  The company moved into to what is now the current home located at 3611 East Lincoln Highway in Thorndale.  The building was erected by McComsey Builders with the interior being finished by many members of the company.  The new facility featured a club room, banquet hall, three drive thru bays, a meeting room, offices, and many other needed features.  The members joined together to hang drywall, lay flooring tiles, install the bar, and paint all the walls.  The result of their hard work can be seen today in our current station which we call home.

With all the new space acquired, it was time to build the fleet.  The 1972 International/Pierce was sold to the Martins Corner Fire Company in late 1992 due to a hole that developed in the tank.  In 1993 a Chevrolet Suburban was ordered and placed in service as Squad 38.  This new vehicle could be taken to training by members or used to carry manpower to fire and accident scenes.  The vehicle was later converted to a Quick Response Service (Q.R.S.) unit in 1995 when members saw the need to assist local ambulance and paramedic companies.  Also in 1993, a used 1984 Ford Econoline van was donated by the Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital in Malvern.  The vehicle was painted and converted into Traffic 38, which served the company until 1998 when it was sold to Ruffini’s Restaurant.  The 1975 Jeep CJ-5/Brush Buggie was refurbished by members of the company in early 1993 and outfitted with a new tank, paint job, and many other extras.  A new engine was ordered to bring the fleet up to three engines, a rescue, a brush truck, a squad, and a traffic unit.  A 1995 HME chassis with a Four-Guys body was ordered with a 1500 gallon per minute pump, 750 gallons of water, and a 7.5 KW generator.  The vehicle was placed in service as Engine 38-2 on July 24, 1995.  One year later, the 1982 Stuphen was sent out to J.C. Moore to have cab rust repaired, new diamond plate installed, and completely repainted.  The engine came back on August 21, 1996, but had to have the tank replaced four months later because a leak developed.  The donated 1984 Ford Econoline van began to show wear and tear as years pressed on, so the company decided to replace it with a 1998 Chevrolet Astro Van.  This vehicle was purchased by Caln Township and placed in service as Traffic 38 on June 11, 1998.  The van was struck by a DUI driver on March 6, 1999 while operating at an accident scene in Downingtown Borough.  No members were injured, but the vehicle did sustain substantial damage that was repaired.

The new century found members of the company questioning the need to operate the large, current fleet of apparatus.  Although there were many additions and refurbishments in the 90’s, the equipment was slowing deteriorating as the call volume was increasing.  The 1971 Ford/National Foam engine rarely responded to incidents, could only carry a maximum of three members in the cab, and was thirty years old.  It was decided to donate this engine to the Renovo Fire Company in Clinton County, Pennsylvania on September 16, 2001.  This engine was seen by three members of the fire company traveling northbound on Interstate 83 in Lower Allen Township, Pennsylvania in April 2006.  A few weeks later it was sold on ebay for $500.00 and reported to have a blown head gasket, the three fire company members may have seen the 1971 Ford/National Foam engine’s last trip on the roadways that April day.  In 2001, a rescue truck replacement committee was formed and decided to purchase a combination unit to replace the 1989 Mack/Swab and 1982 Sutphen.  This unit was ordered in late 2001 from Arnold Fire Equipment in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania.  Due to the complexity of the new rescue pumper it was not delivered until early 2003.  The 1989 Mack/Swab was sold to the Smithfield Township Fire Department in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  On October 15, 2002 the 1989 Mack/Swab was pick-up by smiling members of Smithfield.  The rescue-engine is a 2002 Spartan Gladiator chassis with a custom New Lexington body.  The apparatus has a 1750 gallon per minute pump, 660 gallons of water, and a 30 gallon foam cell.  The rescue is also equipped with a Hurst Octo-Flow PTO power unit that can simultaneously run six pre-connected Hurst rescue tools.  This system was the second in the world installed, with the first being on Fairmont of Norristown’s Rescue 6.  A housing ceremony and building dedication was held on June 14, 2003.  The 2002 Spartan/New Lexington rescue was housed along with the 1995 HME/Four Guys engine, 1993 Chevrolet Suburban, and 1998 Chevrolet Astro Van.  The building was dedication to Mr. Howard M. Rissel for his dedication to the fire company over the many years of his service.

In 2005, the company was awarded with a 75% Participating Department Certification from the Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner.  A large portion of the firefighters and officers attended review classes and challenged the State Firefighter I Certification, which was only the beginning.  The members now hold certifications in other areas such as Fire Officer, Fire Investigator, Fire Instructor, etc.  New members are required to obtain the State Firefighter I certification within one year of joining the fire company.  It is quite a feat to have 75% of a fire companies members certified to this universal certification, but the firefighters showed a lot of dedication to obtain this honor.

In late 2005 the company replaced the 1993 Chevrolet Suburban with a brand new 2006 model.  The new squad was converted by Krammes Custom Bodies in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and was outfited with a LED emergency lighting, a custom radio console, and a storage box in the rear.  The unit was pin striped and gold leafed by Dave Mendenhall, and then placed into service in May 2006. 

In early 2009, members of the fire company learned that the original fire engine of the company was sitting in a salvage yard located in Blue Ball, Pennsylvania.  The 1939 Chevrolet pumper was set to be destroyed, but in a quick action by the fire company members it was motioned to purchase this vehicle at the May 11, 2009 fire company business meeting.  It was approved to purchase the vehicle back for $2000.00 from the salvage yard.  The fire company does not have any plans in place for the restoration of the apparatus, but hopes to put together a time line and plan.

The Thorndale Volunteer Fire Company has come along way since its organization in 1939.  History will continue to be made as the members of the company step into the future.