History

The long history of volunteer fire fighting in Blairsville can be broken down into three distinct periods: the Bucket Brigade period, the evolution of Blairsville Fire Company Number 1, and the period of the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department.

Bucket Brigading was the cutting edge of fire fighting technology and was used for about one hundred years by the citizens of Blairsville before any organized company was established. The Bucket Brigade tactic worked as follows:

The alarm bell located in the tower of Town Hall was sounded, usually by the fire victim, and every able citizen would grab a bucket and run to the tower. There, they would be directed to the fire. Once at the fire scene, the citizens would need to locate the nearest back yard wells from which the bucket line was established to the fire.

Around 1836, a hand drawn pumper, the "Conemaugh", entered the picture and changed the tactics of the Bucket Brigade. When the fire victim sounded the alarm at Town Hall, the citizens grabbed their buckets and headed to the place of the last fire. That was where the Conemaugh was left so that everyone would know its exact location. Once at the fire scene, the men who pulled the Conemaugh from the previous fire location would be too exhausted to work. The remaining fire fighting citizens would then locate the nearest well and the bucket brigade was formed, not to the fire, but to the tank of the Conemaugh where the water was pumped to the fire. It must have been a curious sight. The nozzlemen, because of the lack of pressure, had to get quite close to the fire, and there was really no protective clothing in these early days of firefighting. Using a wooden shield with a hole in the middle for the hose, the firefighter would approach the fire until the heat and flames kept him from getting closer.

Several other hand-drawn pumpers were purchased until Blairsville entered the mechanized era in 1917, with the purchase of a motorized hose truck and chemical fire-fighting tank. The first mechanized pumper truck was purchased in 1926, and the bucket brigade era of fire fighting became a thing of the past in Blairsville.

Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 was the first organized fire department in Blairsville. Organized in 1880 and lasting until 1897, it became the first fire company between Johnstown and Pittsburgh to use hose when fighting a fire. This of course was the hose mentioned above that was connected to the hand operated pumpers such as the "Conemaugh".

History tells us that the first fire responded to by Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 was the Tittle Foundry located on South Walnut Street. The Foundry made stove casings and plows and was owned by CL Tittle who was the first president of Company Number 1. The foundry was a total loss, according to reports, because of defective hose and lack of water.

The water supply in Blairsville during the late 1800'S was not a help to firefighters. In September of 1881, during a fire department parade in Blairsville, Conemaugh Borough Fire Department presented their brand new Steamer and Hose Wagon. An attempt was made to test the steam engine, but no water source in town could furnish enough water. Thus Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 relied on the Bucket Brigade and the hand-operated pumpers to fight fire.

Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 lasted approximately 17 years before it disbanded. Friction between the town council and the fire company, lack of a fire hall, a very small number of alarms ( 20 per year on the average), and a lack of real organization within the company contributed to its collapse.

The end of Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 ushered in the third period of history in Blairsville fire fighting. Organized in 1897, seventeen years after the first company was formed, The Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department was born. Inheriting the problems that lead to the demise of Blairsville Fire Company Number 1, the founders of our present company had the task of creating an organization that would weather the problems and become a strong community organization.

It was these men who started practice drills and monthly meetings, wrote the current by-laws of the company, and began the social aspect of the fire department in Blairsville.

Not a great deal of information was recorded during the first thirty years of the Fire Department. It is known, however, that by 1920 there were sixty-five active members and fifty associate members. The associate membership included local businessmen who supported the fire department financially and enjoyed the social privileges provided by the company.

The hundred-year history of the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department parallels the history of our country, and the impact of national as well as international events can be seen in the fire department's day to day operation. Our fire department paralleled the 1920's boom that was being enjoyed by the rest of the country. It was during these "Roaring 20's" that the company became a focal point for entertainment in the community. The first carnival was sponsored in 1929 and resulted in a very good profit of $3,000 for the Fire Department. Traveling shows were brought into Blairsville. Producing companies were engaged to bring in plays, musical groups, and "talking picture shows". A fire company drum corps was begun. These and other forms of entertainment helped bring community members together and strengthened the fire department's place as a strong community organization.

Much of what was enjoyed in the 1920's ended in the 1930's because of the Great Depression. In 1933, the department voted not to attend the annual state convention because of lack of funds. It was also voted not to hold the carnival that year because it was believed that it would be too much of a drain on the community. Company dues were eliminated in 1934. In 1935 it was decided that the company could no longer fund the Drum Corps, and that the group must stand alone. This action sealed the fate of the Corps as they were forced to disband because of lack of funds in 1936. All of the drums and bugles were sold to the Derry Fire Department in 1937.

Even the first St. Patrick's Day banquet held on March 9,1937 was affected. This annual event - that continues today - celebrates and honors those firemen who risked their lives in the rescue efforts during the great St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936. The banquet was permitted to be held only if the cost could be held to less than $25.00.

The 1940's started out with a bang for the department. In September of 1940, Volunteer Fireman's Day was celebrated at the World's Fair in New York City. Our company sponsored a train trip to the World's Fair. Leaving Friday, September 20 and returning Monday, the cost was seven dollars per person, a very good way to begin the decade.

But good times were short-lived. World War II began in 1941 for the United States and just as the company suffered because of the Depression, the war also caused changes. In 1942, since so many were leaving for the service, the Young Men Volunteer Fire Department began to advertise for members. The by-laws were suspended for the duration of the war to ease the requirements for membership. The company also organized numerous scrap drives for the war effort.

The department in the1950's and 1960's mirrored the post-war growth period in the country. A new fire hall was completed in the 1950s and was paid for by 1960. Much of the work on the new hall was completed by the members in the evening hours following their workday. Individuals in the community aided in the effort by purchasing bricks sold by fire department members. Also, several trucks were purchased and gear was updated during this period. Membership remained at sixty-four members and there was a constant waiting list of those wishing to join the department.

During the last four decades, the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department has undergone many changes and the effect of these changes on members has been dramatic.

The number and nature of alarms has changed greatly since the 1930's and 1940's. Increasing from twenty per year in the 1930's to 362 in 2004, the number of alarms has placed a great demand on the firemen's time. Roughly fifty percent of the alarms answered by Blairsville firemen today involve traffic accidents, thus making necessary more training than any time in the past. Not only must a fireman be an expert in fire fighting, but he must also be able to use all of the extrication equipment needed at a traffic accident. Weekly drills reflect the nature of the current alarms; approximately one half are dedicated to fire fighting and one half to highway rescue.

State regulations have further increased the amount of training required. Because of the number of vehicles carrying hazardous materials on our highways, each fireman must receive instruction on the handling of hazardous material and pass a yearly written exam yearly in order to continue in the fire service.

More than ever before in history, todayŐs Blairsville volunteer fireman faces a great increase in the number of hazards encountered. Besides the hazardous materials on the highways , materials used in building construction and in furniture, carpets, etc. are very volatile when ignited and emit toxic gases when burning. This has become a hazard because the nature of fighting fire has changed greatly. Beginning in the 1970's, firemen in Blairsville have been trained in quick response, offensive, interior attack fire fighting. The method of surrounding a structure and pouring water through windows is a thing of the past for most fires in the community. Today, donning air masks and heavy bunker gear, the firemen quickly enter the burning structure to put out the fire. The tactic has greatly reduced property damage from water as well as fire loss. However, making one's way through a smoke-blackened, super-heated environment presents the fireman with dangers not faced while standing outside a burning structure with a hose line.

The increased time needed to be an active member of the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department and the dangerous nature of the job has had its effect on the organization of the company. Membership, while remaining strong and active, is now at 47 members. There is no longer a waiting list as there was during the 1950's , 1960's and early 1970's.

The social climate of the 1980's and 1990's has also effected the organization of the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department. The company welcomed its first female applicant in the 1990Ős. Today, membership is open to any person regardless of gender or age.

Things have changed greatly in the hundred-year history of the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department, but the service and dedication of the members has remained constant. Paul Snyder, who served as chief for thirty-six years, gave a speech to the Blairsville Board of Trade in November of 1950. Much of what he said can be applied to the members of the past and to those members that continue to serve the community of Blairsville.

Mr. Snyder said:

"The Fire Department consists of 64 men who have pledged themselves to protect the lives and property of the citizens of the borough of Blairsville and our surrounding community. Regardless of time of day, condition of weather, and nature of your call, we drop what we are doing and hasten to your request. The compensation which we receive is the satisfaction of helping our fellow man whenever he is in need. Through the training that we give these men, and the efforts which they put forth, I think we have the best fire department in the state."

Today, the company does not consist of 64 members and there is no waiting list. But the pledge of service, the work, the training and the commitment is just as strong as it was when our company began 108 years ago.

The Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department has progressed a long way from the days of the Bucket Brigade. With the effort of the members and with the continued support of Council and the citizens of Blairsville, the Young Men's Volunteer Fire Department will continue to be as Paul Snyder said... " (One) of the best fire departments in the state".

Note: This history was compiled and written by Jim Meighan. Credit must be given to the late Bill Graff, Sr. Much of the information on Bucket Brigading and Blairsville Fire Company Number 1 was taken from previous articles written by Mr. Graff. The remaining information was gathered from fire company minutes from the 1920s to today.