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~ ~ Enderby Fire Halls
~ ~ Enderby
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Although a fire brigade, or the equipment for one, has been present in Enderby for over eighty
years, there have been no more than five sites for the firehall. When the first hose and
storage box were acquired, there was nowhere to keep the equipment. So before an official
storage site was prepared for the newly formed brigade, this equipment was stored in the
harness room of the Matthews and Evans stable on Cliff Street (where Little City Fashions
is located).
The equipment was relocated to the first "official" fire hall in late 1906, a
small shed behind city hall. By 1912, the fire brigade moved to the basement of City Hall, where the equipment stayed until the time of
Chief Rolly Hill. While the brigade was located in City Hall, the bell used for alarms was
on the top of the City Hall.
Then in the mid-forties an old barn was moved in behind city hall. After the required
construction was finished, the barn became the new, greatly improved fire hall, and was
used from then until 1985, when the new hall became operational. In 1965, an addition was
put on the building, necessary for the new truck that Cecil Smith ordered.
Then in 1985, the present fire hall became operational. It opened with some controversy,
especially concerning the location, the need for such a large hall, and the construction
itself. The building was constructed utilizing "Waffle- Crete" structural
pre-rust concrete. With three garage bays, plenty of parking space and room to clean
vehicles and equipment, a large meeting room, and an office for the chief, the latest hall
is a far cry from the original twenty-five dollar shed, and is a sign of the continuing
importance of the Fire Department in Enderby.
Kevin Steinwand
ALF School, 1989