Oak Lawn Fire Company

Click on images to enlarge.

     The Oak Lawn Fire Company was organized in 1906 by Emanuel E. Brazil, and Earl Irons after a disastrous local barn fire. The company was later incorporated under the name “Oak Lawn Fire Association” on October 5, 1910.

     The first fire station was a local barn that was purchased by the fire company and moved on rollers to a location on Wilbur Avenue where the present day Rt 295 overpass is located. 

     The first alarm system for calling volunteers consisted of a split-locomotive wheel and a car axle fashioned into a hammer which would strike a gong that could be heard a considerable distance. The gong was an invention of Mr. Brazil.

     Mr. Brazil lived at 50 Brookdale Avenue, a short distance from the station. A special phone line was installed in his house to alert him of a fire in the area. After taking the call he’d go to the station and sound the gong. When volunteers arrived, the hand-pumper would be pulled to the fire, either by hand, by horse, or by attaching it to the rear bumper of Mr. Brazil’s Model T Ford.

     It was suggested that the bell of the nearby Oak Lawn Baptist Church be used as an alarm, but this proved confusing as people didn’t know if it was ringing for a fire, or church services.

     The first piece of apparatus was a custom built hand-pumper built by William Jenkins and Fred Johnson, both members of the fire company. It relied on a bucket brigade to keep it going as there were no fire hydrants or water lines in the district at the time.   

     The company later acquired a horse-drawn hose wagon to accompany the engine. This wagon was built in 1890 by the Selle Gear Company and had originally seen service with the Providence Fire Department. The wagon was fitted with leaf springs which made for better riding and maneuverability on the then unpaved roads. This hose wagon is said to have been sold, and eventually put on display at the Hialeah Fire Engine Museum of Haileah, Florida. Unfortunately the museum has since closed and the wagon’s present whereabouts is unknown.

     The company’s first motorized fire engine was a new open cab 1921 White, which carried 100 gallons of chemical fire retardant and 1,400 feet of hose.   It was purchased for $600, and remained in service until 1935, when the fire company purchased a new Ford fire truck. It was also in 1921 that the fire company procured a small chemical engine which could be towed by another vehicle.

     There were three fire alarm boxes in the Oak Lawn district: Wilbur Ave. and Exchange Street, Turner Ave. and Harrison St., and Natick Ave. and Wilbur Ave.

     In 1929, a new station replaced the old barn on Wilbur Avenue. It had a large truck bay, a recreation room with a pool table, a community room and kitchen.  

     It was also in 1929 that the Ladies Auxiliary of the Oak Lawn Fire Company was established. 

     In 1935 the White fire engine was replaced by a new Ford fire engine.  The 1935 Ford was later replaced by a 1950 Ford fire engine.  In 1972, the 1950 Ford was replaced by a 1972 Hann Class A triple combination pumper.  The 1972 Hann was later replaced by a 1992 KME Class A triple combination pumper.

Click on images to enlarge.

     In 1950 the company obtained a 1950 Ford engine, which remained the primary piece of apparatus until the purchase of a 1972 Hahn. The new engine was painted bright yellow in keeping with the city fire department’s gradual change from red to yellow fire trucks. The Hahn was designated Engine 5, and the 1950 Ford remained in service as Engine 15. Oak Lawn became known as Station 5.

     Click on images to enlarge. 

     The 1972 Hahn pictured above went into service September 10, 1972.  It was capable of pumping 1,000 gallons of water per minute.  It was painted yellow to be more visible at night.  The total cost was $34,000, raised over the previous three years through various means including donations, raffles, suppers, and other activities.  

Fire Stations   

     Oak Lawn’s first fire station was a small barn building that was moved on rollers from a farm to a location on Wilbur Avenue, where the Rt. 295 overpass is today. It served as a fire station until 1929, when it was replaced by a modern two-bay station at the same location. That station remained in use until 1967, when the fire company was forced to abandon it due to it standing in the way of the construction of Interstate Route 295. For a brief period of time, the Oak Lawn Fire Company was without a station until a new site could be found.

     The Ladies Auxiliary was established in 1929 and remained active into the 1980s. 

 

     In 1968 the fire company moved into a brand new station at 470 Hope Road near the intersection of Pippin Orchard Road. This station officially closed in 1995 with the dissolution of the fire company, and is today the home of the Cranston Volunteer Firefighters Museum.

   Company Officers   

 In January of 1937, the following men were elected as officers of the Oaklawn Fire Company: Earl Irons – Chief; Walter Ganz – Deputy Chief; Captain – George Raymond; First Lieutenant – Albert Raymond; Second Lieutenant – Stanley Souza; Engineer – Emanuel Brazil.

  Company Insignia

 

Automobile Insignia

     These cast aluminum emblems were placed on fire company member private vehicles, usually above the front license plate.  In some instances volunteers would respond directly to a fire scene and park nearby, and these emblems identified the vehicle owners as firemen and therefore they would not be ticketed or towed by police. 

   

Miscellaneous Items