|
 |
 |
| |
| Our History |
|
The Riverside Fire Department’s history
is firmly entwined with the history of our entire community. Most
of the people associated with the early development of the Fire
Department were also responsible for the shaping of the community.
Notable among these early leaders was Frank Miller, founder of
the Mission Inn. |
This is a proud history with a colorful
past that we see here.
The present members of the department recognize it as such, and
strive to preserve this reputable past; and add to it in the
finest tradition established over these many years. |
| The Riverside Fire Department has participated
in thousands of history making activities
throughout the last one hundred and fourteen years, one of which
was the famous elephant stampede of 1909 caused by a fire. It began
when two Riverside men, William Hayt and Frank Miller, recognized
the potential, that an uncontrolled fire would have in this small
1880’s village. In April of 1882, Frank Miller was able to raise
$500, subscribed by local businessmen, to purchase a wagon with fire
buckets and a hose reel. In that same year, William Hayt began a
drive to develop a full-fledged fire department. This effort was
hampered by lack of funds and a perceived lack of need on the part
of the City Board of Trustees. On February 10, 1883, Hayt’s
worst fears were realized. The first major fire in Riverside destroyed
the building and press of the local newspaper, the Press Horticulturist. |
| Five years of unprecedented local growth added
people, buildings and a greater need for fire protection. On July
7, 1887, William Hayt, continuing his drive for a fire department,
bargained with the City. He offered to provide all of the money necessary,
half through donations and half from his personal account, to buy
new and better equipment. The Board of Trustees agreed, and Hayt
set to work. He raised $527 through donations, and being a man of
conviction, later put up his portion of $515.68. On October 7, 1887,
Riverside’s Fire Department came into being. The first Chief,
Cavalry Captain James N. Keith, was commissioned along with 1st.
Assistant D.L. Brant, 2nd. Assistant S. J. Filkins, and clerk G.F.
Ward (later to become one of Riverside’s chief’s). They
were paid $12.00 per month. |
| With the arrival of the new fire equipment,
a shed on the northeast corner of Eighth (now University) and Main
Streets, became Fire Station #1. The Fire Department consisted of
a Chief, two assistants, a clerk, a bucket wagon, a horse cart, a
hose reel, a hook and ladder and approximately fifty volunteers.
All equipment was designated to be pulled with manpower. During this
same period, the City began development of its water main system,
making feasible the installation of fire hydrants in the downtown
area. |
| On April 21, 1888, the fledging fire department
met with its first major test. A fire in the lamp closet at the Citrus
Pavilion, a large building near the corner of Seventh (now Mission
Inn Ave.) and Main St., raged through the wooden building, engulfing
it and the whole block. Unfortunately, the City had shut its water
system down for repairs but with tenacity and newly acquired training,
the Riverside Fire Department saved a large portion of the city’s
wood-framed downtown. |
| In 1890, the first
horse drawn apparatus was purchased and the headquarters station
was moved to the Findley & Knight Livery stable on Main St.
between Seventh (now Mission Inn) and Eight (now University) Streets.
In 1891, Station #2 opened in a small shed at Sixth and Pachappa
Streets. By 1900, Station #2 was relocated, and became known as
the Arlington Station. |
| Motorization of the Riverside Fire Department
began on September 15, 1909 with the $4,750 purchase of a Seagrave,
combo hose wagon and chemical engine. With this purchase, the fire
horses gave way to smoke belching, noisy, gasoline powered trucks.
The handsome and powerful steam pumper, previously impressive behind
galloping horses, actually came to be towed behind one of the new
engines. |
| Following another major fire loss in 1924 at
the Motor Transit building in downtown Riverside, the number of fire
hydrants was doubled. The fire also contributed to the passage of
a 1925 bond issue, which increased fire protection, further improved
the water system and allowed the purchase of two additional engine
companies. By 1926, two new Seagrave engines and three American LaFrance
engines had been purchased. One of these engines was later restored,
and is owned by the Riverside City Firefighter Association. By 1938,
Riverside had thirty-three firefighters and five engine companies
housed in four stations. |
| Growth of the department slowed to a walk during
World War II. The firefighters however, were highly essential in
the establishment of the block warden program. In the early forties,
Riverside gained national recognition when one of our firefighters,
Ed Strickland, invented the preconnected 1 ½" hose. This
was soon adopted nationwide. During this same period, the department
created a medical assistance program by placing a resuscitation unit
on the back of a pickup truck. |
| The Department’s continued growth and
interest evolved to include more than the traditional emphasis of
fire suppression and medical aid services. Even prior to World War
II, fire prevention efforts received considerable attention. Another
area of interest that received national recognition, was the Driver
Certification Program. This program taught all aspects of driving
an emergency vehicle and tested each person prior to allowing them
to drive an apparatus. This probably stemmed from the 1913
crash of its horse drawn steamer, and continues even today. |
| The Riverside Fire Department has experienced
many significant changes over the past one hundred plus years. It
has grown from a purely volunteer group in 1883 to a fully professional
fire department with 187 members today. From the first hand and horse
drawn equipment of yesteryear, it has entered the realm of diesel
engines and air-conditioned cabs. From wet face cloths, to fully
self contained breathing apparatus; from leather lunged chiefs whose
voices could be heard through a trumpet two blocks away, to the electronic
voice of the radio dispatchers whose voices can be heard for miles,
to the specialized HazMat and Urban Search and Rescue teams, the
Riverside Fire Department has experienced change. |
| The spirit of our department, which began in
the 1800’s with William Hayt and Frank Miller, continues today.
Through the years, the department has done its best to anticipate
the needs to protect the community, and has fought hard to obtain
the resources to meet those needs. However, the real honor belongs
to the Firefighters and Chiefs, both past and present, which daily
accept the challenge of keeping our community a safer place in which
to live. |
 |
|
| Chiefs of the Riverside Fire Department |
|
|
1887 - 1890 |
G. F. Ward |
1890 - 1896 |
S. R. Smith |
1896 - 1897 |
W. G. Polcene |
1897 - 1897 |
S. L. Wight |
1897 - 1901 |
Joseph
Schneider |
1901 - 1926 |
| Jack Hutchinson |
1926 - 1928 |
| John Bayha |
1928 - 1929 |
Jack Hutchinson |
1929 - 1931 |
Ed Mosbaugh |
1931 - 1938 |
William Taylor |
1938 - 1942 |
Ray Allen |
1942 - 1959 |
Burney Montgomery |
1959 - 1973 |
Fred Woodard |
1973 - 1977 |
Richard Bosted |
1977 - 1986 |
| Douglas Greene |
1986 - 1992 |
| Michael Vonada |
1993 - 1996 |
| Dave Carlson |
1996 - 2005
|
| Tedd Laycock |
2005 - Present |
|
 |
