|
The Loveland-Symmes Fire
Department has a rich and varied history in the
fire service. Dating back to it’s beginnings in
the late 1800's the department has experienced a
wealth of changes throughout its long heritage.
 On February 12, 1876, approximately
85 residents of Clermont County petitioned to
have about 800 acres incorporated into a
village. Originally settled by Thomas Paxton in
1795, the newly incorporated village was named
after the town’s original postmaster, James
Loveland.
Soon after
incorporation, village residents recognized the
need for fire protection.
On August 12, 1877,
two sets of ladders and 36 rubber buckets were
purchased and a group of village residents were
appointed to oversee and use the equipment.
One ladder and 18
buckets were placed on Jackson Street
(present-day Loveland Avenue) and the other
ladder & 18 buckets on Broadway Street.
Although no record
clearly shows a specific name, the group of
residents that provided Loveland’s first fire
protection was commonly referred to as the
"Ladder & Bucket Brigade".
The “Ladder and
Bucket Brigade” obtained water for firefighting
from eight fire cisterns located throughout the
village. These cisterns were all operated with
wooden hand pumps.
As Loveland grew, so did
the need for better fire equipment. Requests by
citizens and businesses prompted Loveland to
purchase a hand-drawn, hand-powered pumping
unit.
Purchased from "Rumsley
& Company" in Seneca, New York, this unit was
also equipped with 200 feet of fire hose.
However, soon after its arrival in Loveland, the
"Ladder and Bucket Brigade" came to the
realization that this unit was impractical and
it was soon returned to the manufacturer.
Shortly thereafter, a
committee was established and sent to Cincinnati
to look at steam powered equipment. A rebuilt, horse drawn
steam pumper (pictured right) equipped with a
hose reel was purchased from the "Ahrens Fox
Company", a Cincinnati based fire engine
manufacturer. The Loveland-Symmes Fire
Department still owns the steamer today.
It resides in the
bay at Station 63 located at the corner of East
Loveland Avenue and Second Street.
It can easily be
seen through the bay windows while sitting at
the traffic light on North Second Street.
Loveland’s first
official “fire department” was established in
March of 1885 under the direction of Chief
Archibald B. Brock.
Known as the “Miami
Steam Fire Company”, the department was led by
Chief Brock until 1895. In 1886 due to a lack of
funds from the village council, “Miami Steam
Fire Company” members made a deal with a local
blacksmith to build a ladder wagon.
The money was raised
solely by the firemen to purchase this unit.
Shortly after that, firefighters were outfitted
with rubber coats & boots and more hose and a
hose wagon were acquired.
 A shortage of funds to purchase
apparatus was not the only challenge that faced
the newly established fire company. With every
piece of equipment (except the hose reel) being
horse drawn, the fire company needed horses to
pull their apparatus to a fire. Unfortunately,
the village council also made it clear that
Loveland was unable to purchase horses for the
fire company. Fortunately, local merchants came
to the rescue. A deal was struck between the
village and local merchants where the village
agreed to pay any merchant that responded to a
fire alarm with the merchant’s team of horses to
pull the apparatus to the fire. Two of the
horses used, which were owned by the L.W. Nisbet
Company, were named "Old Dan" & "Joe".
During this period,
firefighters were summoned to the fire station
for the report of a fire by a large bell that
was taken from the "Rubin Springer" steam boat.
The bell was
acquired from a local resident, who had spent
time serving as a riverboat captain. This bell,
which currently sits atop of the Loveland
Firefighter's Memorial, served as the call to
the firemen until 1934 when it was replaced by a
electronic siren that was operated by phone from
any one of four different firefighter's homes.
 Throughout
the era of prohibition, illicit liquor traffic
was extremely prevalent in Loveland. In response
to this, the village council established “Liquor
Court.”
Fines earned in
“Liquor Court” were used to purchase new fire
fighting equipment. In 1921, Loveland purchased
its first motorized fire truck (shown below).
The Bierderman-manufactured
fire truck was equipped with a 350-gallon per
minute pump and two chemical tanks mounted on
solid rubber tires.
This truck served
the community well until 1929 when Loveland
purchased two trucks from the Prospect Fire
Engine Company located in Prospect, Ohio.
In 1928, the department became
known as the “Loveland Fire Department.” Upon
the retirement of Chief Liebold,
Laurence Brock assumed the duties of fire chief.
Being the grandson of Loveland's first chief,
Archibald Brock, and serving with his uncle
"Chic" Brock, firefighting was definitely in
Laurence Brock’s blood. During his five years as
the fire chief, Chief Brock was able to get
firefighters on the village payroll for the
first time. The firefighters received $2.00 per
call.
About a decade later,
then-Mayor Cutler made the decision to forbid
the “Loveland Fire Department” to respond to
fires located outside the village limits, citing
a lack of funds. A large fire occurred on
Loveland-Miamiville Road (outside of the
village) soon after and the firefighters went to
help out anyway, despite knowing that they would
be facing punishment upon their return.
With the help of
attorney John Undercoffer, the membership of the
“Loveland Fire Department” formed the "Loveland
Community Fire Department" on March 6, 1938.
If they wished,
members of the village-operated “Loveland Fire
Department” were automatically counted in the
membership of the “Loveland Community Fire
Department.” The members were paid for fires
they responded to in the village of Loveland
while fires that were made with the Community
Fire Department were done without compensation.
The Loveland Community
and Loveland Village Fire Departments worked
together to protect Loveland and its surrounding
communities for years. However, in 1967 it was
recommended that the City Fire Department
(formerly the Village Fire Department) be
disbanded.
By 1971, the
Loveland Community Fire Department took over
fire protection duties for the city of Loveland
while still providing service to neighboring
towns that needed additional help.
In 1972,
a major fire destroyed Loveland City Hall which
was located on the present site of Station 63 on
the corner of East Loveland Avenue and Second
Street.
The Loveland Fire
and Police Departments were also housed in this
building, which was deemed a total loss.
This event forced
the fire department to rebuild from the ground
up.
Our department
forefathers rebounded from this adversity
strongly and we are extremely proud of the
department that we have today.
 Loveland firefighters have always
shown great concern for their neighbors. This is
still evident today as we currently provide fire
and EMS services for the City of Loveland and
Symmes Township. In 1989, the “Loveland
Community Fire Department” took over fire
protection for Symmes Township and became known
as the “Loveland Symmes Fire Department.”
We currently operate as a private fire
company, governed by the LSFD Board of
Directors, that contracts fire and EMS services
to Loveland and Symmes Township. We operate four
fire stations (two in Loveland & two in Symmes
Township) that are staffed with
firefighter/paramedics 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year.
Today we continue to carry out the
mission established by our long and varied
history: to provide YOU, our customers, with
service you can count on.For more history on
Loveland check out:
http://www.lovelandmuseum.org/index.shtml
For more history on Symmes Township check out:
http://www.symmeshistoricalsociety.com/index.htm |
