|
The Belvedere Fire Company started much like many other fire companies. In 1949, a group of men got together after a neighbors house burned down. Even though the area was being served by other fire companies the men felt that responding to the Belvedere / Cedar Heights area was not their major priority. At the first meeting Mr. Bennie Sarton was appointed Chief and Mr. George Maoirana was elected President. The first fire house was Mr. Sarton's garage until a new firehouse was built at a cost of $4,000 in 1954 and doing a $3,000 expansion in 1958. Most work was done by the members themselves. The members completed the recent building programs, one in 1977 which added the third bay and large social hall. In 1991, we expanded the hall and second floor
The first engine was a REO purchased second hand from the Delaware City Fire Co. The engine was old and known to break down going around the corner onto Newport Gap Pike. The members would have to push it to get it to start. The next engine was also bought second hand from the Brandywine Hundred Fire Co. During this time the fire company was not part of the county-wide dispatch system. So members would listen to the fire radio and activate the siren themselves whenever there was a fire in the district. Having incorporated in March of 1951, the predominantly black membership elected Mr. Tom Bulah the first black fire chief in the state. Under Mr. Bulah the company purchased its first new piece of apparatus in 1956, a GMC HOWE.
In 1963, the company led a historic fight to gain entry into the Fire Association. This was led by Mr.'s. Bulah, Carroll and the late Mr.'s. Manlove and Holland, both past chiefs. The members successfully argued that they were a viable fire service and was granted entrance into both the state and count associations. Over the past years the company and members have distinguished themselves by going above and beyond the call of duty. Once when going to a parade, the members stopped and assisted a Kent county fire company on a working alarm while the were in their parade uniforms. During the riots in Wilmington seeing and all black crew on a fire engine seemed to calm many people and made firefighting a little easier.
In 1975, the late Buford Manlove was elected president of the county association. This made him the highest ranking black ever in the state of Delaware. In 1965 the company purchased a gmc Hahn pumper then in 1982 a seagrave was bought. Belvedere added a pierce lance pumper in 1989 and a pierce lance squirt in 1992. Then later a 2001 ford f150 was added as belvedere first Quick Response Unit (Q.R.U). The Q.R.U. is a combo ems and brush unit.
In 2005, belvedere is currently adding on three additional apparatus base to its building. This will allow us to respond to alarms on the main road. |
