Abingdon Fire Company History

   At a meeting of the Abingdon Improvement Association in late 1924 it was discussed by the members that the village needed quicker response to fires. Records indicate that the association concerned themselves with the problems of the day. Some of their concerns were of things we take for granted today; electricity, the town was not electrified until 1927. Another concern was paved roads for safer travel, and concern for availability of telephone service. Fire protection was on the lists of great concern  that night in 1924, the closest fire protection was Bel Air and Aberdeen. There weren’t many fires in those days, mostly field and woods but when they had a dwelling or barn fire it was of great concern because of the delay in communications, and the distance they had to travel over unimproved roadways to get there particularly in the winter months during snow and freezing rain on uncleared roadways.

  The original idea was to form a Fire Brigade, a first line of defense until the arrival of the closest fire company. This idea was short lived and a new suggestion was “let’s get our own fire engine and become a fire company." The meeting that night in 1925 was described by past chief Arnold Harwood who was present as a young lad.  It took place in Lester Tuckers Store across from the present McComas Funeral Home in Abingdon, as it was the only public place in town.  Some of the people there were Lester Tucker, Joe Babka, Eugene McComas, Kennard McComas, Norman Davis, Harry Moulsdale, Will Harwood, George Price, Roy Stifler and probably many others. As the discussion got heated up, Will Harwood stood up and said “Lets not carry buckets, lets get a real fire engine”. That night Abingdon Fire Company was born. Will’s enthusiasm was later shown as he served as chief  seven times in the  following ten years.

  In 1926 a new Dodge chassis was purchased, and a body built on it in Wilmington Delaware. It had three forty gallon chemical tanks piped to two booster reels mounted top-side. It carried no water except in the chemical tanks. The tanks contained five pounds of soda mixed with the water and a four ounce bottle of sulfuric acid that when broken would charge the tank to about 350 psi. The mixture was created uniformly by a four bladed paddle cranked by hand as the engine approached the fire. The engine carried enough spare soda and acid to charge the tank three times. Extra water to recharge the tanks if necessary came from the home owners well, or a barrel kept by the owner for fire protection. When that was gone the fire had better be out.

  The engine was delivered that year and was housed in a wooden lean-to attached to Lester Tuckers barn. During that time, fire calls were received by the local telephone operators who forwarded the information to Tuckers store. (This method of notification continued to the mid 1950’s when it was replaced with the advent of the first Fire Headquarters) Mr. Tucker would pull the engine out and sound it’s siren to notify the rest of the firemen.

  In 1930 construction of a new firehouse located on Abingdon Road across from Cokesbury Methodist Church was completed. It wasn’t until that time until the firemen had access to protective clothing that was bought when at a barn fire an object fell from the roof and struck one of the firemen on the head. So at the next company meeting, they voted to buy four metal helmets, and four rubber boots. Also in that year a new chemical engine was purchased to replace the previous one. The new engine had the latest refinements;  it sported a 100 gallon rotary pump piped to a 100 gallon water tank and three chemical tanks supporting two 1” booster reels. The fire company progressed through the 1930’s, and the records indicate they answered about thirty five calls a year.

    In 1940 it became time to replace the chemical truck  and the company purchased a 1940 Model EH50 Open Cab Mack Pumper.  In 1950, the company expanded the firehouse with two new engine bays to accommodate a new 1200 gallon tanker mounted on a 1950 Chevrolet chassis which cost he company $1900.00.  A member of the company who was a metal smith, built the body for the cost of the material.

  In the mid 1950’s population began to increase, and the company voted to build a second fire station and locate it in Long Bar, it was completed in 1958. The 1940 Mack Pumper was moved to that station, and a new 1957 B Model Mack Closed Cab Pumper was purchased that was the pride of the company. In 1959 the company added a light duty Rescue Truck built on an International Chassis, and a 17 foot aluminum rescue boat the following year. In 1965 another new Mack Pumper was purchased to replace the aging 1940 open cab Mack at House 2 in Long Bar.

  In 1968 the company after much debate pro and con voted to purchase it’s first ambulance;  a 1968 coach mounted on a Oldsmobile Chassis. The company previously was running on all automobile and truck accidents and rescues in our territory since the purchase of the rescue truck , and therefore had a large number of personnel trained and ready to begin ambulance service. The very first year the company ran 325 ambulance calls much to the relief of Joppa Magnolia, Bel Air and Aberdeen fire companies.

  In the 1970’s the fire company began to feel the result of the recent new Harford County Master Zoning Plan designed to manage future industrial and residential development. This plan included the area beginning with Bel Air south to include what is known as Rt 24 and Rt 152 corridor, west to Baltimore County Line and east to Havre de Grace. This plan pretty much placed Abingdon in the center. Expansion of our resources became a priority. The 1970’s witnessed the company build a third fire station to be located in the Edgewood area of Willoughby Beach, the addition of two engine bays and administration area at the Abingdon station, two new engines to replace the 1957 and 1965 engines, the replacement of the light duty rescue truck with a heavy duty rescue, and a new tanker with enhanced pumping capabilities.

  The 1980’s witnessed a continuing increase of the population in our area resulting in an increase of emergency calls. Our EMS calls were approaching 2000 and fire calls nearing the 1000 mark. It was at this time the company added a ladder truck and an additional ambulance.

  The 1990’s became a real challenge in terms of adequate resources to replace outdated equipment, recruit additional members, and expand our facilities to meet the emergency needs of the community. We accomplished our goals through the tireless efforts of our members, along with the financial support of the community and the County government.  With that extraordinary effort of support, a new fire station was constructed and dedicated in 1995 on Abingdon Road not too distant from the old one. The new station was designed to carry on our mission of emergency response to the needs of our community and  Harford County well into the 21^st Century.  In 2006 a new fire station was constructed in the Willoughby Beach area of Edgewood replacing the older one built in the seventies. This station also was designed to house the necessary emergency equipment to protect the citizens and their property well into the 21^st Century.      This is our History. Our present is the history for the future, do it well.   Remember Will Harwood's statement    “Lets not carry buckets, lets get a real fire engine”.

The Fire Company has worked hard and continues to work hard serving out their mission which is to “Protect the lives and property of the citizens of our community and Harford County”. This is your history, and what we accomplish today and next year will be the history for the next generation of members that follows.