In the spring of 1948, several hundred
Brookfield Township residents met at the high school to formulate plans for a
township fire department. The Township Trustees were asked to provide a
fire truck and a place to house it. In June of 1948, the truck was ordered
to be delivered in February of 1949. The fire station was located at the
center to centrally serve all sections of the township.
The trustees appointed Rhinold Schultz the Fire Chief. A committee was set
up to organize a volunteer fire department composed of men from all sections of
the township. In August of 1948, about 50 men met in the Town Hall and
proceeded to organize the Brookfield Township Volunteer Fire Department. Officers
were elected and a state charter was applied for. When the truck arrived,
the men quickly learned to operate it. The charter was received in June of
1949.
In August of that year, the firemen sponsored the first annual homecoming to
help raise necessary funds for equipment. Though hampered by inexperience
and a shortage of finances and sufficient help, the affair was a success (in
spite of many power failures). With the proceeds a small army surplus
truck was purchased. This the men repaired and equipped to fight grass
fires. They also purchased a resuscitator. Also in the early days the
chassis from an old school bus was used in building a tanker to carry extra
water to supplement the pumper.
Remember the big snow of 1950?? The firemen were at the fire station for
three days, working with the road crews to clear the roads, delivering milk to
stores, supplying fuel to people caught unprepared. Broken equipment was
brought to the station for repairs. Some homes had to be evacuated.
In one case they had a race with the stork.
Brookfield was the first volunteer department in the are to acquire a two-way
radio system.
In September of 1954, John Powell was appointed Fire Chief when Chief Schultz
retired because of ill health. In May of 1965, Chief Powell left his job
at General American to become a paid full time fire chief. Later in
January of 1972, Captain Nick Bartolin also left the mill to be a full time fire
fighter. The station was manned from 8 am to midnight, 3 days a week.
Nick Bartolin was then appointed to fire chief in 1974 where he served in that
position until December 31, 1981.
In March of 1982, Keith Barrett was appointed fire chief and is currently
serving in that capacity.
In 1994, a study was conducted to see if the township could support an Emergency
Medical Service operated through the fire department. Through hard work of
many people and the cooperation with the board of trustees, the fire department
started with 2 paramedic squads in November of 1995. As the calls grew in
numbers, more personnel were added both part time and full time to grow to where
we are at now with 7 full time, 25 part time, and approximately 15 volunteers.
The department still consist of approximately 70 volunteer dues paying members
who support the department in many ways.
Since the start of the paramedic service in the fire department, the calls
directed to the department has risen greatly. In 1949 the department
answered 36 calls and in 1998, 2095 calls were answered.
The departments mission is to provide to the citizens and visitors of Brookfield
Township, the highest quality fire education and suppression with the best
resources and training available to the department.
