Lockport fire department
Encyclopedia
The Lockport Fire Department serves the city of Lockport
, which is located in Niagara County, New York
. It is a professional department and represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters
, affiliated with the AFL-CIO
. The department is divided into four platoons.
s. Huge fireplaces with mud-encrusted stick chimneys and roaring fires in the winter would frequently ignite the logs, and structure fires were common. Although fire-related casualties and property losses were not recorded at the time, the early inhabitants recognized the need for providing fire protection. 1824 saw the formation of the first firefighting organization in Niagara County. Located in the village of Lockport, it was named Protection Fire Company
No.1. The original handwritten bylaws of the company are preserved by the Niagara County Historical Society. In the event of a fire, each member would respond to an alarm, generally sounded on the nearest church bell
by the first person to notice the fire. For his effort, this person would receive a reward of $2.50. Churches designated for use as alarm sites were the Baptist, Grace Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Clinton Street Methodist churches. Because it had a bell tower
, the Union School was also used for this purpose.
From 1824 to 1914, fire protection was provided on a volunteer basis. At a special meeting on May 18, 1914 the Lockport Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously voted to disband the volunteer companies then in existence and reorganize the department on a professional basis.
Lockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
, which is located in Niagara County, New York
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
. It is a professional department and represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters
International Association of Fire Fighters
The International Association of Fire Fighters is a labor union representing professional firefighters in the United States and Canada. The IAFF was formed in 1918 and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO in the United States and the Canadian Labour Congress in Canada. The IAFF is headquartered in...
, affiliated with the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. The department is divided into four platoons.
History
In the early days of what is now Lockport, the first dwellings were log cabinLog cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s. Huge fireplaces with mud-encrusted stick chimneys and roaring fires in the winter would frequently ignite the logs, and structure fires were common. Although fire-related casualties and property losses were not recorded at the time, the early inhabitants recognized the need for providing fire protection. 1824 saw the formation of the first firefighting organization in Niagara County. Located in the village of Lockport, it was named Protection Fire Company
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
No.1. The original handwritten bylaws of the company are preserved by the Niagara County Historical Society. In the event of a fire, each member would respond to an alarm, generally sounded on the nearest church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
by the first person to notice the fire. For his effort, this person would receive a reward of $2.50. Churches designated for use as alarm sites were the Baptist, Grace Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Clinton Street Methodist churches. Because it had a bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, the Union School was also used for this purpose.
From 1824 to 1914, fire protection was provided on a volunteer basis. At a special meeting on May 18, 1914 the Lockport Board of Fire Commissioners unanimously voted to disband the volunteer companies then in existence and reorganize the department on a professional basis.