Established in 1816, the Waltham Fire Department has grown with the city to meet its ever changing fire and emergency needs. We have researched and documented a great deal of our department's history and compiled it in this section of the web site. You can also find out specific information on:

WFD Timeline
WFD Badge History
Past Chiefs

HISTORY OF THE WALTHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

OUTLINE

I.Organization
Founding of department

Quick overview of history

II. Members
Past Chiefs
Notable members

III. Stations
A.)Central
1. 27 Lexington St.

2. 175 Lexington St.

B.)Moody St

C.)Engine 3 (Willow St.)

D.)Engine 4 (Prospect St.)

E.)Engine 7 (Lake St.)

F.)Engine 8 (Trapelo Rd)

IV.Apparatus

A.)Engine 1

B.)Engine 2

C.)Engine 3

D.) Engine 4

E.)Engine / Squad 5

F.)Engine / Squad / Rescue 6

G.)Engine 7

H.) Engine 8

I.)Ladder 1

J.)Ladder 2

K.)Car C-2

Major Fires

A.)1800's

B.)Early 1900's

C.)1950's

D.)1960's

E.)1970's

F.)1980's

G.)1990's

H.)2000's

THE WALTHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

The first organized method of firefighting was in the form of a bucket brigade. According to early records, the first fire occurred in August of 1770. The fire, which was caused by a lighting strike, at the west precinct church at the intersection of Lyman and Beaver Streets, was put out by a gentleman who was milking his cow nearby and took the bucket of milk and climbed the belfry, and extinguished the fire.

The Waltham Fire Department evolved from a bucket brigade, where all able citizens were required to supply a bucket and participate in the fire fighting effort to a department that extinguished fires with hand pumpers, to horse drawn steamers, to modern motorized equipment. Waltham’s first piece of fire apparatus a Hunneman small bucket hand engine was purchased by the Boston Manufacturing Company was delivered on November 16, 1816 The Waltham Fire Department was Incorporated by legislature signed by the Governor in 1844. On April 6, 1844 Josiah Beard was appointed Waltham’s first Fire Chief. On September 3, 1881, the Waltham Fire Department incorporated the Gamewell Fire Telegraph System. The first alarm for this system was box #18 on October 6, 1881 for a small dwelling fire on Newton Street. Waltham’s first motorized piece of equipment came on September 30, 1911, which was the Chief’s car and followed on December 13, 1912 when Hose Company #3 was delivered. Motorization of the city’s Fire Department was completed in 1920 when 4 pieces of apparatus were purchased.

WALTHAM FIRE CHIEFS

AND

PROMINENT MEMBERS

Josiah Beard 1844

Jonas H Priest 1847

William Gibbs 1849

Gideon Hayes 1853

Thomas A. Powell 1855

E.M. Huchinson 1866

Marshall Parks 1869

John Haines 1875

Charles Parks 1877

Freeman C. Hodgdon 1894

George L. Johnson 1906

Bertram A. Neal 1940

Ernest L. Neal 1950

Frank Fleming 1953

John F. Steede 1956

Edward A. Cloonan 1964

Joseph Steede 1984

Joseph Zammuto 1990

Thomas M. Keough 1992

In the early years of the Waltham Fire Department many prominent citizens were members of the fire department. General Nathaniel P. Banks was one such individual. General Banks was a member and fireman of Engine Company 2 and later promoted to Assistant Engineer.

WALTHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

FIREHOUSES

CENTRAL STATION

Central Station currently located at 175 Lexington Street is the home of Engine 2, Rescue 6, Ladder 1, Engine 6A, the Central Boat, Fire Prevention, Training Division, and the Chief’s Office. Central Station was originally located at 27 Lexington Street and was built in 1887. In 1964 the Waltham Fire Department moved the Central Station Department Headquarters to the “new” Municipal Center at the current 175 Lexington Street location. The “old” Central Station became the Auxiliary Fire Department Quarters and is still in use today.

MOODY STREET

The Moody Street Fire Station is located at 533 Moody Street, in the heart of the “Southside”. Built in the birthplace of the “Industrial Revolution” in the shadows of the BMC and the Waltham Watch Factory, the Moody Street station was constructed over a two-year period from1890 to 1892. On October 5, 1900, a suspicious fire destroyed the station; seriously injuring several firefighters and killing seven fire horses leaving only the outside shell. By June 30, 1901 the station reopened. In 1988, the City of Waltham totally renovated the station and was rededicated it to the firefighters and citizens of Waltham on October 27, 1988. Today the Moody Street Station is home to C-2 (on-duty Fire Suppression Deputy Chief), Engine 1, Squad 5, Ladder 2, and the Moody Street Boat.

WILLOW STREET - ENGINE 3

Located at 67 Willow St., this sub-station was built in 1941 in east Waltham to cover the Warrendale, Rangley Acres, and Bleachery sections of the city. Today it is home to Engine 3 and Engine 10 (Spare Engine).

PROSPECT STREET - ENGINE 4

The “West End” of Waltham is protected by Engine 4, which is located at 35 Prospect St. This sub-station was originally built in 1874 at the lot near the corner of Main and Prospect where Fleet Bank is currently located. It was replaced with the building at 35 Prospect Street in 1949. Currently Engine 4 and Engine 4’s boat are housed at this station. Engine 4 is first due to the Roberts and Cedarwood sections of the city as well as Brandies University and industrial locations including Polaroid.

LAKE STREET - ENGINE 7

The Lake Street sub-station at 104 Lake St. was built in 1950. This station provides first alarm coverage to the Lakeview section of Waltham. Today this station is home to Engine 7, the Engine 7 boat, and Engine 9 (Spare Engine).

TRAPELO ROAD - ENGINE 8

The last of the four sub-stations was built in 1959 at 699 Trapelo Rd. This station covers North Waltham from the Belmont line to the Lincoln line. Today Engine 8, the Cambridge Watershed Protection Trailer, and the Metro Fire Command Center call this station home.

WALTHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

FIRE APPARATUS

1871 Amoskeag Horse Drawn Steamer - Currently on display at the Waltham Museum of Industry, 154 Moody Street
1918 American LaFrance (750 gpm) Pumper
1939 American LaFrance (750 gpm) Pumper
1959 Mack "B" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper
1964 Mack "B" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper, Formerly E-2
1968 Mack "CF" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper, Formerly E-2 and E-6. Refurbished in 1984 by E-One
1994 E-One Protector (1250 gpm) Pumper with 30 Gallons Onboard Foam Tank

1915 American LaFrance (750 gpm) Pumper
1939 Mack (750 gpm) Pumper
1964 Mack "B" Model (750 gpm) Pumper
1968 Mack "CF" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper
1970 Mack "CF" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper, Refurbished in 1983 by E-One
1990 E-One Cyclone (1250 gpm) Pumper

1913 American LaFrance Hose & Chemical Car (Hose Company #3)
1918 American LaFrance, Formerly Engine 1
1948 Mack (750 gpm) Pumper
1978 E-one/Ford (1000 gpm) Pumper
1999 E-One Cyclone II (1250 gpm) Pumper with 30 Gallons Onboard Foam Tank

1913 American LaFrance Combination
1949 Mack (1000 gpm) Pumper
1972 American LaFrance (1000 gpm) Pumper
E-One Cyclone (1250 gpm) Pumper

1945 Mack (500 gpm) Pumper
1959 Mack (1000 gpm) Pumper, Formerly Engine 1
1978 E-One Ford (1000 gpm) Pumper
1983 E-One Ford (1000 gpm) Pumper, Renamed Squad 5

Chemical 6
1949 Mack (750 gpm) Pumper
1973 American LaFrance (1000 gpm) Renamed Squad 6
1984 Refurbished by E-One
1996 E-One Cyclone II Heavy Rescue, Renamed Rescue 6

1950 FWD (500 gpm) Pumper
1964 Mack "B" Model Pumper, Formerly Engine-2
& Engine-1
1983 E-One Ford (1000 gpm) Pumper

1959 Mack "B" Model (1000 gpm) Pumper
1978 E-One Ford (1000 gpm) Pumper, Formerly Engine-Squad 5
1998 E-One Cyclone II (1250 gpm) Pumper with 750 gallon water tank and 30 gallons onboard foam