A young man of 18 moved from Boston, Massachusetts, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1723. His name was Benjamin Franklin. This young man while living in Boston had witnessed a major fire that destroyed the homes of 110 families. After moving to Philadelphia, Franklin witnessed a major fire in the commercial district along the river in 1730. It was at this time that he addressed the city officials, asking them to be better prepared and organized in fighting fires.
In 1733 Franklin wrote about the dangers of fire and the necessity of having organized fire protection in his newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. After a major fire occurred at Philadelphia in 1736, he sprang into action to organize a fire brigade with 30 volunteers. The new organization would be known as the Union Fire Company.
Franklin’s actions brought men together of all ages, professions and elected offices to work side by side as a group to conquer the flames. The members of the Union Fire Company agreed to, and were responsible to, furnish their own leather fire buckets for firefighting and strong canvas bags and baskets to safeguard one’s property during a fire. Through Franklin’s diligence and persistence the City of Philadelphia earned one of the best fire safety records in the world.
We now proceed to a small town in Greene Township, Franklin County, known as Fayetteville. It was in the fall of 1953 that some citizens of the town got together and placed an article in Chambersburg’s newspaper, Public Opinion, asking all citizens of Fayetteville and vicinity who were interested in organizing a fire company to meet at the public school building in Fayetteville on Oct. 24, 1953.
The first meeting saw 30 members step forward and discuss how to organize and proceed to form a fire company. The citizens who were present had the vision to organize and elect temporary officers. Plans for a charter were adopted and a committee of eight men was nominated to appear before the local notary public to take the formal action of requesting a charter from the Franklin County Court for the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Company.
After a period of discussion, officers were elected to the new fire company. The company meetings were scheduled for every two weeks. The members of this new organization conducted membership drives and fundraising events and collected donations for operations.
At a meeting held on Nov. 12, 1953, with 23 members present, an equipment committee was appointed to search for and purchase a piece of fire apparatus. The members had learned that the Brentwood, Maryland, Fire Department had a fire truck for sale.
Some of the members went to the Brentwood Fire Company to inspect and test the 1937 International pumper. This piece of apparatus had a 250 gallon-per-minute pump and a lighting system and the price was $2,300.. The membership, wanting to purchase the truck, went to the Chambersburg Trust Company for a loan.
The note was signed by two members of the Fayetteville Fire Company in November 1953. The equipment committee purchased the pumper and drove it back to Fayetteville on a Saturday evening, and as the truck traveled through the town one could hear the siren and see the flashing lights.
There were 10 drivers originally to operate the new piece of fire apparatus. By the end of 1953 there were 167 members and the company joined the Franklin County Firemen’s Association. The company’s piece of apparatus was housed in Harvey Kramer’s garage.
The company purchased fire hose, fire extinguishers and other equipment needed in firefirefighting for the 1937 International. The company’s next acquisition was a 1942 Dodge truck chassis from Shiveley’s Garage for $200 and the members placed a 1,000-gallon tank on the Dodge chassis to haul water for firefighting operations.
The constitution and bylaws for the company were adopted on March 18, 1954, and on March 29, 1954, the company became incorporated. The company’s first festival was held at the Athletic Association field in July 1954. The fire company as of September 1954 was still renting space in Kramer’s garage for the fire apparatus. In January of 1955 a building committee of six members was appointed. The members held their first company picnic in August 1955. The first building committee meeting was held in July 1956, and from here the members went to the citizens of Fayetteville and the surrounding area for donations to buy Kramer’s garage and have their own fire station.
This building was originally known as Max Goetz’s Garage, which was destroyed by fire in 1932 and then rebuilt measuring 50 by 100 feet.. The building was remodeled to comply with state laws and the needs of the fire company in February 1958. History was made again as the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Company took ownership of the property in July 1958. At this time membership dues were $2 per year. The members of the company had accomplished quite a bit to this point since 1953.
Naturally, as time passes one can expect changes and growth in such an organization. It takes a lot of funding, training, leadership, equipment and dedicated personnel to provide the necessary emergency services to the community.The company went on to form a junior member program and bought their first rescue squad in 1972.
Fayetteville Fire Company had the Franklin County Emergency Services designation number 7.
In 1975 the company purchased a Hahn diesel fire pumper and established an ambulance service. In October 1975 a dedication was held for the new fire station, two new ambulances, the Hahn pumper and a brush truck. The ambulance service was the first to be certified in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in 1977.
Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Company Chief James W. Cutchall, shown in action at a fire, was shot and killed on July 2,1977, while responding to a cabin fire in Fayetteville. Fayetteville’s Main Street has since been dedicated to him and renamed the James W. Cutchall Memorial Highway. On July 2, 1977, while responding to a cabin fire, Fire Chief James Cutchall and a neighbor next to the fire, Wilbur Brookens, were shot and killed by Gary Rock, who set the fire. Two members of the fire company were wounded.
In August 2003 the company celebrated its 50th anniversary with a parade and a community carnival. Some of the fundraising activities held by the company are bingo, drawings, dinners, and carnivals.On Sept. 21, 2015, State Rep. Rob Kauffman introduced Bill 1342 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, later would be forwarded to the state senate for approval, to rename a portion of Fayetteville’s Main Street as the James W. Cutchall Memorial Highway. Jim Cutchall’s brothers Jeff and Tommy and his sister, Carolyn, along with other family members, were present at Harrisburg with Kauffman for the occasion.
Sadly on the morning of Nov. 10, 2015, Jeff Cutchall – himself a member and former fire chief of the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Company – passed away before seeing the formal dedication of the James W. Cutchall Memorial Highway
Fayettveille Fire continues to be 100% volunteer and runs approximately 600-900 runs on average per year. Fayetteville’s Fire fleet consists of two Pierce Fire Wagons, a Seagrave Heavy Rescue Squad, a Ford Brush Truck, Dodge Utility Truck, and a Polaris UTV. Fayetteville Fire continues to provide a professional EMS service to its community along with several surrounding counties and its EMS fleet is operated by approximately 50 paid Paramedics and EMT’s that provide a 24/7 service via five ambulances that also can be operated at MICUs, a medic unit and five medical transport vans.
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Fayetteville Fire Rescue, 101 West Main Street Fayetteville, PA 17222
Email Us
info@fayettevillefirerescue.com
Contact Us - 717-352-7723
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