Engine Company No. 8

A HISTORY

ORGANIZED: 1827

DISBANDED: JANUARY 20, 2001

COMPANY QUARTERS

PORTAND FD

1827-1848 18 Market Street, westerly side, at the corner of Milk Street.

1849-1850 18 Market Street, westerly side, at the corner of Milk Street.

1850-1860 154 Congress Street, south side, head of Smith, near India (w/L-1)

1861-1881 47 Burnham Street, near Lowell Street, West End, near Libbytown.

DEERING FD

1873-1899 Spring (Woodford) Street, next to railroad tracks, in Lewis Hall.

1899-1807 165 Woodford Street PFD Hose Co. 8, with L-4

1907-1808 51 Pitt Street, near Oakdale Street, Oakdale (old H-12, temporary)

1908-1867 536 Deering Avenue, corner of Revere Street, Woodford’s Corner

1967-1801 386 Allen Avenue, near Allen’s Corner, North Deering

COMPANY NAMES

PORTLAND FD

1827-32 “Hydraulion” Hand Pump Engine

1832-48 “Hydraulion” Hand Engine No. 8

1849-52 “Croton” Hand Engine Co. No. 8

1852-60 “Dirigo” Hand Engine Co. No. 8

1860-61 Company disbanded

1861-81 “Dirigo” Hand Engine Co. No. 8

1881 Company disbanded

DEERING FD

1873-90 Woodford’s Engine Company, “Niagara”, Town of Deering

1890-99 Hose Co. 1 (Deering Fire Department, 1892-City of Deering)

1899-08 Hose Co. 8 (Portland Fire Department)

1908-16 Steam Fire Engine Co. 8

1916-26 Engine Co. 8 (Motor hose truck, Steam E-8 used sparingly)

1926-82 Engine Co. 8 (Motor triple combination pumper)

1982-01 Engine Co. 8 (quint company) (Decommissioned for L-4 quint)

COMPANY HISTORY

PORTLAND FIRE

May 6, 1826 – A major fire in Portland with another on June 11th raised fire protection concerns from its citizens. Two hand pump engines were ordered from the Merrick & Agnew Company in Philadelphia.

1827 – A company organized, named “Hydraulion” for the new Suction Engine. It was housed in a new two-story brick engine house at 18 Market Street, on the westerly side, at the corner of Milk Street. Also housed there were “Cataract” and “Deluge” Engines and “City” Hose Company. The Hydraulion was purchased primarily to supply the large other new engine, Deluge, which had no suction capabilities.

1831 – The Portland Fire Department was established by State Law, replacing the, “old Department.”

Shortly after, company numberrs were instituted and Hydraulion was assigned as Engine Co. No. 8.

1848 – A new Leonard Crockett engine replaced the Hydraulion, named Atlantic 8. Shortly after, the engine number was changed to 2. Company members remained with E-2. * E-8 Company vacant.

1849 – The City purchased the 1836 Thayer engine (old Volunteer # 3) from Hunneman & Co. for $400 in May. After repairs, it arrived, named as “Croton” Engine Co. 8, housed again on Market Street.

1850 – Croton Engine 8 moved to a two-story brick Boys Grammar School House and Ladder House, at #154 Congress Street near India Street, at the head of Smith Street, occupied circa 1836 by Ladder 1.

December of 1852 – E-8 changed their name to “Dirigo”, for their new Crockett-built Engine.

July 16, 1860 – Engine Companies 1, 7, & 8 honorably discharged from service, in consequence of the introduction of the steam fire engines (Machigonne 1 and Falmouth 2) into the Fire Department.

October 23, 1861 – Dirigo Hand Engine Co. 8 was re-organized and relocated to a newly built small brick engine house in the Western portion of the City on Burnham Street, near Lowell Street.

1881 – Dirigo Hand Engine 8 disbanded.

DEERING FD

*Originally part of Westbrook, separated and incorporated as Town of Deering February 16, 1871.

October 7, 1873 – Deering Fire Department organized. An 1848 hand pump engine (Niagara) and a nearly new hose reel carriage purchased from City of Saco. The Engine was housed in a two-story wooden building on Spring Street next to the railroad tracks, known as Lewis Hall, and was leased by the Town of Deering. The Engine Company completed organizing on November 17th.

April 12, 1889 – Better fire protection approved. A two-wheel hose reel cart and 500 feet of hose was purchased. Hose Co. 1 organized in 1890 at Lewis Hall and the Niagara engine used sparingly.

1892 – The Town incorporated as a City. The two-wheel hose cart was rebuilt in 1893 into a much heavier four-wheel hose reel carriage to carry 1,000 feet of hose, and to be hauled by a horse. In 1897, a new Talbot & Moulton four-wheel hose wagon, built in Portland, was purchased for Hose 1.

March 1, 1899 – City of Deering annexed to Portland. DFD as part of Portland Fire Department.

March 21st – DFD Hose 1 became PFD Hose Co. 8, remaining at Lewis Hall with L-4 (DFD L-1). Spring Street was renamed as Woodford Street and the firehouse was #165.

September 11th – F.W. Hayes was appointed Permanent Driver of Hose 8. Horses were purchased and Portland leased the Lewis Hall quarters, fitting up rooms for the drivers of Hose 8 and Ladder 4.

June 1, 1906 – A Permanent Captain and Hoseman appointed to Hose Co. 8.

April 8, 1907 – The Woodford Street firehouse roof caught fire caused by sparks from a passing train. Hose 8 relocated to the vacant two-story hose house (Hose 12) at 51 Pitt Street in the Oakdale area and Ladder 4 moved to Engine 9 at Morrill’s Corner. Soon after, construction began a block away on a new two-story brick firehouse at 536 Deering Avenue, at the corner of Revere Street at Woodford’s Corner.

March 9, 1908 – Three Permanent men were appointed for a new steam engine company to be installed at Hose 8 when the new firehouse opened. Appointed were A.V. McAllister, Driver of Steam Engine,

B.F. Woodbury, Engineman, and F.C. Larsen, Hoseman.

May 29th – Hose 8 moved into the new firehouse and on June 4th, Steam Engine 8 was installed with a rebuilt 1871 Amoskeag steam engine, which was a spare engine formerly assigned to Engine 1.

January 4, 1910 – Engine 8 firehouse as District 2 Headquarters for the Permanent District Fire Chief, as Engine 8 was centrally located in the Deering section. A Chief’s Driver was assigned from E-8 in 1911.

June 15, 1912 – Engine 8 disabled at a fire and was assigned the spare 1873 Amoskeag (old E-4). A new D.E. McCann hose wagon carrying 1,800 feet of hose in service September 27th.

December 2, 1916 – Portland’s first motorized fire truck, a hose & chemical combination, went into service assigned to Hose 8. Steam Engine 8 was then used sparingly until 1922.

January 5, 1926 – Engine 8 became a permanent company.

July 1, 1926 – E-8 assigned anAmerican LaFrance 1,000gpm triple combination pumper (first in PFD).

February 24, 1945 – Engine 8 Private Thomas Walsh, age 39, died in the line of duty at a three-alarm fire at Stevens Avenue Amory. A wall collapsed, killing him and injuring several other firefighters.

1953 – New Maxim 750gpm pumper replaced the 1926 American LaFrance.

1956 – Overhead doors were installed at Engine 8, replacing the original 1908 double-folding doors.

1957 – District Two chiefs’ relocated to East Deering in a new firehouse for E-11 on Ocean Avenue.

July 7, 1960 – Engine 8 received a new Mack 750gpm pumper with a 500-gallon tank. Because of the larger tank, the pumper was assigned on the 1st-alarm at the airport. The 1953 pumper went to E-11.

1963 – The District Two chiefs’ relocated back to the quarters of Engine 8 at Woodford’s Corner.

April 3, 1967 – Deering Avenue firehouse closed. Engine 8 and D-2 District Chiefs relocated to a new two-bay one-story brick fire station on Allen Avenue in North Deering. Open House was held April 9th.

1972 – The District Two Chief was eliminated. Ladder 4 relocated to Allen Avenue with Engine 8.

1981 – Ladder Co. 4 was deactivated and Engine 8 was assigned a forth firefighter per/platoon. To address the elimination of the North Deering ladder company, a quint combination aerial ladder/pumper truck was ordered for Engine 8. A new Maxim pumper was temporarily assigned until the quint arrived.

July 20, 1982 – American LaFrance quint truck went into commission as Engine Co. 8 assigned with four firefighters per/platoon. This was the first of two PFD Quint Companies (E-3 in 1983).

May 9, 1983 – Engine Co. 8 moved in with Engine 11 while asbestos was removed from their Allen Avenue firehouse, then relocated to PRVTC June 1st, and again to E-11 September 6th to October 10th.

1990 – A third Medcu Paramedic Unit (Medcu 5, 1998-M-8, 2000-M-4) was assigned at E-8’s quarters.

January 20, 2001 – Engine 8’s Quint Company decommissioned.

SEE LADDER CO. 4 FOR CONTINUED HISTORY

Engine 8 (PFD) - Assigned Apparatus

1827 Merrick & Agnew “Perkins” single chamber suction pump hand engine, built in Philadelphia,

9-inch Cylinder, 18-inch Stroke, Named “Hydraulion”, with 160 feet of hose on a fixed reel.

In service 1827 (1831-numbered as Engine-8) Out of service - 4/25/1848.

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1849 1836 Thayer hand-drawn hand pumping suction engine (old Volunteer #3), built in Boston, MA.

Diameter of cylinders; 7 ¼-inches, Stroke of pistons; 10 ¾-inches

(Re-purchased from Hunneman & Co. and repaired for $400) renamed, “Croton” # 8)

In service 1849 (May-purchased, repaired by Hunneman in Boston, then shipped)

Out of service Dec. 1852

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1852 Leonard Crockett hand pump suction engine, built in Portland, named “Dirigo” E-8, $ 1,000

Diameter of Cylinders; 6 ½-inches, Stroke of Pistons; 16-inches

In service Dec. 1852 (12/28-Engine drill, (1853-$125 two-wheel hose reel carriage)

Disbanded 7/16/1860 (1860-1, 7, 8 honorably discharged because of steam engines)

In service 10/23/1861 (1861-relocated to new Burnham Street engine house, West End)

Out of service 1881 (1882-sold)

Engine 8 (DFD) - Assigned Apparatus

1873 1848 Hunneman 6-inch hand pump Engine, serial #352, former Saco, Maine F.D. Niagara #3,

along with a nearly-new two-wheel hose reel carriage with 500 feet of hose. $375

In service 1873 (10/7-purchased from Saco F.D. by citizens, 11/17-Co. organized.

Out of Service 1890 (1899-Niagara No. 3 hand engine sold back to City of Saco for $50)

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1890 Two-wheel hose reel cart, built by H. K. Barnes, carrying 500 feet of hose (D.F.D. Hose Co. 1)

In service 1890 (Sept., 1893-repainted/fitted up as one-horse, four-wheel carriage)

Out of service 7/27/1897 (reassigned to D.F.D. Hose-5 in East Deering)

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1897 Talbot & Moulton two-horse, four-wheel hose wagon, carrying 1,500 feet of hose $464.50

In service 7/27/97 (7/27/1897-arrived)

1899 (DFD Hose Co. 1 renumbered PFD Hose Co. 8 on March 21st)

Out of service 1912

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1908 1871 Amoskeag 2nd-size (1st-size re-graded) steam engine (old Machigonne E-1), serial # 370,

Double reciprocating vertical engine, 7½-inch Cylinders, 8-inch, Stroke, 4¼-inch pump, 2 horses

In service 5/15/08 (1908-H-8 upgraded to Steam E-8, 1910-w/District-Two Chief)

Out of service 6/15/12 (Disabled at General Alarm fire, later repaired, in reserve at E-4)

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1912 1873 Amoskeag 2nd-size (1st-size down graded) steam engine (old Falmouth E-4), serial # 449,

Double reciprocating vertical engine, 7 5/8-Cylinders, 8-inch Stroke, 4 ½-inch pump, 2 horses.

In service 6/15/12 (9/27-new $835 D.E. McCann four-wheel hose wagon, w/1,800 feet)

Out of service 1917 (Used sparingly because of H-8 motor truck, 1921-in reserve)

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1916 American LaFrance combination hose & chemical (1st PFD motor truck), with two 35-gallon

Chemical tanks, 250 feet of chemical hose, 2,000 feet of 2 ½-inch hose, 36 feet of ladders $ 5,100

In service 12/2/16 (11/23-arrived, 11/25-trial, 12/8-first run-Box 925, working fire)

Out of service 7/1/26

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1926 American LaFrance 1,000gpm triple combination pumper, with 60-gallon booster tank $ 12,750

In service 7/1/26 (6/26-arrived, 6/29-pump test at State Pier)

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1953 Maxim 750gpm pumper, with a 150-gallon booster tank $14,090

In service 3/11/53 (2/21-arrived, 2/25-out pump training)

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1960 Mack with a cab-over roof 750gpm pumper, with a 500-gallon booster tank $ 18,923

In service 7/7/60 (6/22-at Portsmouth Convention, 6/24-arrived, 6/28-pump test)

Out of service 7/6/78 (1978-engine blown at 3-alarm fire, later sold to Bar Mills F.D.)

* E-8 using 1973 Squad-2, 1947 Mack E-3/Foam Tanker 1, 12/31/79-E-10 (old 1968 E-5/11).

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1981 Ward LaFrance/Maxim 1,500gpm pumper, with 500-gallon tank $

In service 8/23/81 (8/17-arrived)

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1982 American LaFrance quint combination truck, with a 75-foot, three-section aerial ladder with pre-

Piped waterway, 1,500gpm pump, a 500-gallon tank, with 97 feet of ground ladders $208,000

In service 7/20/82 (7/9-arrived, 7/10-crews began training, DPW #231)

Out of service 6/9/00 (2000-truck problems, 6/9-w/reserve L-5, 11/1-w/reserve E-2)

1/20/01 (Engine Co. 8 Decommissioned, replaced w/new L-4 Quint truck)

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