Long before 911, before a dispatcher in Amherst received calls, Belchertown residents called the operators at the Belchertown State School to report fires. "Pull the hook," meant sound the siren, twice for a structure fire, and three times for a brush fire. The fire siren, the signal for generations of volunteer firefighters to respond, still sounds through the center of town, and will is continuing to sound from the new fire station, but much has changed.
The earliest recorded fire in Belchertown was a woods fire in 1749. In 1887 the Enterprise Hook and Ladder Company was organized in response to the number of fires in the center of town, including at the Highland Hotel, which burned twice that year. However the town repeatedly voted down a sum of $500 to build a firehouse. A devastating fire in the village center in 1893, and another in 1899, including a fire at the Park View Hotel, led to the formation of the fire department in 1900, with 32 members, and the purchase of more firefighting apparatus. In 1900 the hand pumper "Mary Jane" arrived in town, and when members drilled with the pumper, they produced a stream that went over the cupola of the Park View Hotel, the highest building in town.
To accommodate the new equipment, a two-story wood firehouse with a hose tower was completed in 1902. The second floor of the firehouse was not only used by the fire department, but also by the Grand Army of the Republic, Sons of the Union Army, and the Farmers and Mechanics Club. The Belchertown Fire Fighters Association was formed in 1929. A Model T Ford was the first motorized truck used by the fire service, and in 1930 a Seagrave fire truck was purchased. To distribute the weight of the new truck, 2x6's were laid on the wooden floor of the firehouse, but when the floor continued to sag, the floor was replaced. Through the years additions were made to the front, the side, and the back. The materials for these additions were partially funded by the town, but association members provided the labor. Just as the town provided some funding for vehicles through the years, but primarily it was the funding and expertise of the association members that built the 1965 emergency vehicle, Brush 6, and Brush 4.
In the 1950's when the fire signal blew, three or four people living near the center of town would go to their telephones and call a list of volunteers, who would report to the station. Firefighters donned rubber boots, rubber coats, and metal helmets.
Communication technology has improved through the years, and now each firefighter carries a pager that describes the type and location of a call. Personal gear advanced dramatically with the introduction of heat and fire resistant synthetic materials, and the investment in air packs for every firefighter, allowing the possibility of interior attacks.
Technology brings change, but the dedication and enthusiasm of Belchertown's volunteer firefighters remains undiminished, unchanged, and constant, despite how the demands of their town and their lives have grown. The professional challenge and personal sacrifice required to answer the fire call is enormous. Deciphering the multitude of buildings and streets. Getting up at 3 a.m., knowing the workday will still be waiting. Vanishing from the dinner table, knowing precious time will be missed.
The construction of the new firehouse represents an incredible milestone for firefighting in Belchertown. There is the obvious transition into a modern, spacious, and efficient building, but for the first time in our history, the fire station is not being built by the labor of the association members. Through the years, Belchertown's fire service has grown more and more professional with the constant updating of equipment, the incorporation of rigorous state mandated training, and the expansion of the fire prevention and fire education programs. The changes are embraced by the firefighters because they allow them to do a better, safer job. Yet this time of transition is a good time to reflect on the more subtle things that bring firefighters running each time the siren sounds. Part of what keeps the firefighter association active is the tradition and history it represents. Firefighters respond because they are dedicated volunteers, but also because they become a part of the family of Belchertown firefighters.
The Belchertown Fire Fighters Association is making an effort to preserve the historic firehouse as a museum. The museum houses the "Mary Jane", and the Seagrave, which are still being used for parades and musters, as well as nearly one hundred years of records, photographs, and memorabilia. The historic firehouse, built and rebuilt by the efforts of so many firefighters through the years, has once again called on the labor and contributions of the firefighters in order for the move to occur. And the firefighters have answered the call once again.