Since 1893
On June 18, 1893, seven months after the Borough was incorporated, a Group of interested men met and drafted a charter, constitution and by-laws For Oakdale Hose Company No. 1. The charter read as follows:
“We, the undersigned Citizens of the Borough of Oakdale, Pa., believing by thorough Organization and practice that we can assist or help protect property against Loss by fire, have organized ourselves into a Company and for its government Do adopt the following code of laws: nine articles or organization followed, Among them the name of the Company, Oakdale Hose Company No. 1, consisting of any male citizen of Oakdale over the age of 17” November 2, 1893 at the regular meeting, Chief Laley announced the hose cart has been ordered at a cost $85 and will be delivered in December, this was the first real firefighting equipment purchased by the Oakdale Hose Company it put on equal terms with any of the few volunteer fire departments, and ahead of many. In February of 1923 we purchased our first real fire truck. A Howe Fire Truck on a Chevrolet Chassis for $2,500 plus hose load and equipment for $500. It wasn’t a pumper it just got the men and the equipment to the fire. While this shiny new fire truck was everyone’s pride and joy, it had its drawbacks the rear wheels were the wrong ratio, and a platform extending beyond the rear wheels to hold me would get filled to an extent when the front wheels would begin to lift off the road making it impossible to steer. Another problem was The fire truck was too big to fit in the fire house witch at the time was the lower floor of the old council house. So it was kept in Mitchill’s Garage, and each night was moved to the front entrance so there was no delay in answering alarms. In January 1927 the members of the Oakdale Hose Company decided to build their own fire house and it be a concrete block building. |
After moving the truck outside the first meeting in the new fire house was held on March 2, 1926. In May 1928 the Oakdale Hose Company ordered a new LaFrance pumper at $5,500 and $1000 in equipment. The 1925 Howe-Chevrolet was used for its trade in value and the new LaFrance was delivered in November of 1928. The Oakdale Volunteer Firemen’s’ Association was officially chartered in July 1931 and joined State, County, and Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association. This was a legal requirement and put the relief fund in control of the state of Pennsylvania.
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