History
Fire Department History
The Town of Wilbraham was incorporated in 1763, but it was not until the early 20th century that the need for a fire department was realized. The year was 1919, and in that year, the Town voted to purchase a chemical engine and hose cart. The Town purchased a 1919 REO Speedwagon and also appointed a Board of Fire Commissioners. The Town Meeting that year appointed J.M. Perry, C.C. Stewart, and F.A. Warren. The Town Meeting also voted to construct a one-stall firehouse near the site of the present-day fire headquarters on Boston Road.
The first firehouse was dedicated to the memory of George M. Kingdon, the only Wilbraham soldier to be killed in action during World War I. He is buried at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France.
The "George M. Kingdon Fire Company" sign now hangs in the present-day headquarters on Boston Road.
In the days prior to the George M. Kingdon Fire Company, fires in Wilbraham were fought using whatever was available to include buckets and extinguishers.
Chronological History
The Department has changed a great deal since those early days, and below is a chronological history of that transformation.