Beachwood Fire Company Celebrating 100 Years

Office holders, from left, Mickey Symington, Dominick Roselli, Roger Hull, Delancey O’Connor, and Bob Tapp, discussed the fire department’s history. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

  BEACHWOOD – In a ledger, you can see which members of the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Company responded to the Hindenburg crash in 1937. That’s just one example of the legacy that is being celebrated with the group’s centennial this year.

  Several members sat down with The Berkeley Times to share the rich history of a small town. The borough itself was incorporated in 1917, and the fire department was made official five years later. However, there were men in the town who put out fires before then, the department just wasn’t on the books yet.

  “Years ago, people just helped out because it was the right thing to do,” said trustee Dominick Roselli. He became an honorary member when he was 9.

The fire company posed for this photo a few years after it was formed. (Photo courtesy Roger Hull)

  Speaking of books, those ledgers detail how this department took care of Pine Beach and Ocean Gate before they had their own companies. They describe calls like the explosion of an illegal still in the 1930s.

  While much larger towns have switched to full time fire departments, Beachwood, which only has about 11,000 residents, has managed to keep a volunteer company.

  “It’s something that gets into your blood,” said past president and chief Mickey Symington. He’s one of three generations currently active.

  The department has 27 active members right now. Some of them, like trustee Bob Tapp, has been with the department for 50 years.

This page of the ledger shows which firefighters responded to the Hindenburg disaster (highlighted). (Photo by Chris Lundy)

  Some of them joined more recently, like Delancey O’Connor, the current president, who represents the youngest generation coming up.

“Unpaid doesn’t mean unrewarding,” she said.

  There is a difficulty in maintaining volunteerism in the state. People have to work a lot of hours at their day jobs, which might not leave as much time to dedicate to volunteerism. While no one resents the amount of training they have to go through, it does make it daunting to someone just starting out.

  In a big department, a worker might have one job – as a driver, perhaps. But as a volunteer, a crew gets assembled by whoever is available.

  The buildings in town are changing, too, Chief Roger Hull said. Land is expensive, so when a small house is bought, the owner might tear it down and build a much bigger home. Route 9 has filled in.

This sign is just used for decoration now, but at one time it was used to find out where a fire call came from. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

  “New construction is synthetic, and light weight materials,” Roselli said. That means they burn faster.

  However, the tools of the trade have improved. There are now thermal imaging cameras and other technology.

  Back in the day, there were a bunch of pull boxes set up all over town. If there was a fire, someone ran to one of the boxes and pulled a switch. That would send an alert to the station. The firefighters would have to see which switch was pulled and drive in that direction. They’d likely see smoke if it was during the day, or they’d have to be flagged down by the person who pulled the switch.

  Today, everyone’s pager and cell phone alerts them. But the siren still goes off. Some people have asked why they need a siren if everyone is connected through their phones.

The firefighters came out in uniform for a 50th anniversary photo. (Photo courtesy Roger Hull)

  “If a kid hears the siren, they know to get off the road,” Symington said.

  Also, if someone’s house is on fire, and they hear the siren, they know that help is on the way, O’Connor said. It puts their mind at ease.

  The department has seen a lot in this town, Hull said. Clashing personalities almost split the department at one time. In 1953, a fire near the Garden State Parkway destroyed some houses. That’s when the current property was acquired for the firehouse. The home that was originally on the site on Beachwood Boulevard was moved to Spar Avenue where it still stands.

  From 1953 through 1997, the small borough had two fire houses. This was partially because of a railroad that split the borough and made it impossible to cross if there was a train coming.

  There was also concerns of a huge development on the western end of town. This became Jake’s Branch County Park instead, Tapp said.

The current members took this photo to celebrate 100 years. (Photo courtesy Roger Hull)

  The firehouse had a few additions over the years, and a new truck was just acquired.

  “It’s unique because it’s such a small town,” Chief Hull said. “But it still has that small town charm in it. It’s a family oriented town.”

  The 100th celebration is slated for June 11. There will be a parade, barbecue at Mayo Park, and other activities. Social media pages and The Berkeley Times will provide updates as the event comes closer.

How To Help

  If you’re thinking about becoming a firefighter or volunteering in another way, stop by the firehouse any Wednesday night.

  Donation links can be found on their social media pages and at bvfd16.com/.