Photo Blog 3/3/10 Inside the Old Fire Station

[MikeF9]

Wednesday March 3, 2010
Photo Blog

INSIDE THE OLD FIRE STAION

Back on Election Day in November of 1990, the Fairfax Fire Department moved into their new station. I took some pictures of the the last time we were in the old building.


Reminder of what the old station looked like.


I don't think our current trucks could fit through the old doors.




Duane Leach, Claude Rainville, and Larry Parsons washing the old E2 in the old station for the final time.


Then-Chief Jim Field drives out Engine 1 for the final time out of the old station.


Tanker 3 leaving the station.


Larry Parsons drives E2 to it's new home.

The Fairfax Fire Department is now on FACEBOOK. Search for our page under FAIRFAX,VT FIRE DEPARTMENT and become a fan. We will be keeping everyone up to date on things, and I will be adding photos.

[Chris Santee]

That's great news, Mike !
Thanks for all you do.

I hope the good weather coming helps Rex feel better.

[JoeT]

Where was the old fire station located?

Joe

[Shadylane08]

I'm sure Mike, and Henry can say for sure, but I think the old fire station was near or is the same spot as where the historical society building is now?  Is that correct?  I was pretty young when it happened but I think I remember correctly that something happened to the fire station, and they moved what is now the historical society building to that location, from a location closer to the top of the hill on main street?  Maybe from around the funeral home? I'm just guessing now.

[formerfxfd15]

The old fire station was in the same location that is now home to the Fairfax Historical Society.  Right across from Ross's Auto.  The station was torn down by Patry Excavating.  My parents Lucien and Carol Hayes owners of the former Hayes-Rich Funeral Home donated the building that once housed their caskets, to the town as the historical society building. The building was then moved across the street to where it sits today.

[MikeF9]

Thanks, Jess!
It's had to believe that 20 years ago about this time, the voters of the Town of Fairfax approved the building of a new fire station.
It's amazing how some pictures can bring back memories of something.
The bathroom in back of the station.
The cabinets on the wall.
The cramped quarters.
But probably the most fun part of being where we used to be, was when we were at the station on Tuesday nights. More often than not, we would wash the trucks out front. Or maybe we were just hanging out front talking. Cars would go by and we were always waving to everyone, and everyone waved back.
One final thing. The front of the station was where the steps to the museum are now. We would have to back the trucks into the station from across the road, thereby having to stop traffic everytime we came back from a call.

[Mike Raburn]

Wait, what?

I need to plan a trip back there and see what has changed in the 25 plus years...

Anyone have a floor I can roll out my sleeping bag on?
I am on the CHEAP..........

[Suzy]

Is there still a siren from the new fire station every Tuesday night?  6:30 PM?  I'm pretty sure that's what it used to be.
Suzy

[MikeF9]

The old siren that used to sit on top of the old fire station now sits on a platform behind the new fire station. I believe it is tested(sounded) twice a month.

[woodstoves2]

I live across the street from where the old fire station stood. One below-zero January day (one of several in a row) I discovered about 2-feet of water in my 150 year old basement. Given that everything else in the state was frozen solid, I couldn't imagine how any liquid could get down there. Then I saw the source: an old open sewer pipe sticking through my foundation from the street. Still, I couldn't figure out how the water could be flowing so generously given the general deep freeze. It was too long ago for me to remember how I came to realize that the water was coming from across the street where the fire trucks were being washed. Some ice somewhere in the old sewer system was diverting the drainage into an old forgotten connection to my house. Steve and company were quick to come to my aid, setting up a pumping operation to get the water out while helping to seal the pipe closed with water-hardening cement. The oil-burning furnace survived (mostly), and while water still flows regularly into my basement, it never again arrived through that old drain pipe.
   I thought it unusual to have firemen sucking water out of a building rather than pouring it on, but Steve informed me that they had pumped out other basements before... but under quite different circumstances.