A Short History of the NFD

The Norwalk Fire Department, as we know it, was created in October, 1913, when the cities of Norwalk, South Norwalk and East Norwalk Fire district were consolidated into the present day City of Norwalk. Prior to the consolidation, each of the cities had its own fire department. These departments were made up of volunteer fire companies with paid drivers to bring the apparatus to fires.

The Old South Norwalk fire Department consisted of two fire companies, Old Well Hook & Ladder and Putnam Hose. Prior to 1912, Old Well had a station on Haviland Street, while Putnam Hose was on Franklin Street. In that year, South Norwalk built a new Central Fire station for both Companies at the corner of Franklin and Clay Steets, next to the old Putnam Hose quarters. Before consolidation, the Norwalk Fire Department was made up of three companies, Phoenix Engine and Pioneer Hook & Ladder, which shared quarters at 40 Main Street; and Hope Hose, which had a station at 20 Commerce Street. East Norwalk originally had tow companies, Mayflower Hook & Ladder, which was on Van Zant Street, and is presently the quarters of Engine Company 3; and Volunteer Hose, which had a station in the area of the Mill Pond. The Hose company merged with Mayflower in 1892. The three departments also had their own; completely separate, fire alarm system, and their won volunteer fire chiefs.

At the time of the consolidation, South Norwalk Fire Chief George Bogardus was selected by the Common Council to be the first Chief of the Newly-merged fire department. At this time the Chief’s position became a full time, paid position. The eight paid drivers, who had been employed by the three different fire districts, became the nucleus of the new department. The eight paid firefighters were: Samuel McGowan (also a volunteer Deputy Chief), Hugh Cook, Art Slauson, Dan Corcoran, George Gainor, Mortimer Roberts, Howard Finch and Paul Soltes (who later transferred to the Police Department). In 1913 the paid drivers worked 24 hours a day, six days out of every seven, with time off allowed for meals. The men were paid $16 per week. In 1920 the department went to a two platoon system which resulted in an 84 hour work week for the men. There were 14 paid firefighters by this time.

The apparatus was a mix of horse-drawn and motorized apparatus, including a horse-drawn steam pumper owned by Phoenix Engine. The motorized apparatus, a Knox chemical/hose wagon, had been put in service in 1909 at Hope Hose. By 1920 the last of the horses had been retired, and three years later the first motorized pumper, a 750 GPM American LaFrance, was purchased by the city.

In 1923, Volunteer Deputy Chief Charles Volk became a member of the paid department. Volk, who was an expert electrician, was given the job of combining the three fire alarm systems into one.

In 1937 Chief Bogardus retired and Volk, who had previously been promoted to Assistant Chief, was named as the new Chief. A the start of the Second World War there were 41 men in the department.

The department experienced several reductions in working hours after World War II. Firefighters first went to what was called a “stagger system” which gave them a 74 hour work week. Two more slight reductions in hours occurred over the next few years, and then in 1950, a three shift platoon system with a 56 hour work week was put into effect.

In 1957, a four platoon, 42 hour work week, was approved by the Norwalk voters. This was the result of a successful campaign by the union to put the work week referendum on the ballot. At the time, Norwalk was only the second department in the country to have a 42 hour work week. This brought the size of the department up to 105 officers and men.

During the late 1950’s planning was begun for the replacement of the Main and Franklin Street fire stations, which were to be demolished as part of the urban renewal. In 1961, the city built the Broad River Fire Station at the corner of New Canaan and Silvermine Avenues, to replace Main Street. This was the first fire station owned by t he city instead of a taxing district. A plaque in the lounge of station is dedicated to the memory of Firefighter George Nash, who collapsed and died at the age of 59, while fighting a fire at 245 East Avenue on February 2, 1961.

Chief Volk retired in 1962 and was replaced by Benjamin Mangels, Chief of the Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department. In 1964 the department moved out of its old headquarters and into the new Central Station on Connecticut Avenue. This station was named after Chief Volk. In 1967 a new substation was opened on Westport Avenue and named after Chief Bogardus. The building program came to a conclusion with the opening of the Meadow Street Station in 1970 and the building of the drill tower on South Smith Street a year later. When the Meadow Street Station opened, the department reached its peak strength of 161 personnel.

When Chief Mangels retired in 1974 he was replaced by Deputy Chief Eugene Seymour. Chief Seymour was the first Chief of the Department to come up from the ranks of the paid firefighters. Chief Seymour retired in 1979 and Deputy Chief John Yost was named as his replacement.

Chief Yost led the department until his untimely death in 1997. Yost had been on vacation in Pennsylvania when he suffered a fatal heart attack on September 26. He was 64 at the time of his death. The next week he was buried with full departmental honors after a funeral mass at St. Thomas The Apostle Church.

Chief Yost brought the department into the era of large diameter hose, hazardous materials, automatic mutual aid agreements and modern firefighting techniques. Yost, who had an MPA from New York University, was a great believer in higher education for his firefighters. Chief Yost also assigned firefighters to the department’s rescue truck on a full time basis. Previously, the firefighters from an engine company at Central Station manned the truck when it was needed for a motor vehicle accident. From now on, Rescue 2 was manned constantly and responded to all structure fires, hazardous materials calls, as well as accidents. The first manned rescue was a small “squad” type vehicle. A large box type rescue vehicle replaced it in 1993. Station 1 was re-dedicated as the John Yost Fire Station in 2000.

Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal James Verda was named Acting Chief at the time of Yost’s death. Six months later he was named Chief and remained in that position until his retirement in 2004. During Verda’s time as Chief, the department began responding to emergency medical calls as a designated first responder. The department’s calls doubled as a result of this. Chief Verda retired in April of 2004 and was replaced by Sanford Anderson who had been Assistant Chief since 1998.

On July 29, 2004, the department was stunned by the death of veteran firefighter Robert Bedell, who was found dead of a heart attack in his home. Bedell, like Yost, was buried with full departmental honors. He had been a member of the department since 1977.