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Back at the founding of Lewes there were no fire trucks or emergency services. But for over 200 years Lewes has relied on its volunteers to fight its fires and come to its aid in times of need. in 1796 some concerned citizens decided to organize the fire protection for the town and that was the beginning of the Lewes Volunteer Fire Department. They organized buckets and ladder in 5 districts in the town sand the town bell was rung to alert them of a fire in the community. There are not great records form the time. But we do know that in 1886 the name Lewes Volunteer Company. There is not record of a “Fire Truck” until 1893 when the Company bought a Holloway horse-drawn chemical engine. There was no EMS service back then until 1954 when the ambulance squad was added. Until that time people mostly relied on private transportation.
Today this has all grown into the Lewes Volunteer Fire Department housing 5 engines; 1 rescue truck; 2 aerial trucks; 2 brush trucks, 3 boats; 6 support vehicles along with 6 ambulances in 3 Fire Stations. The volunteer force consists of approximately 85 active volunteer firefighters,36 volunteer probationary firefighters, 6 honorary members, and 25 paid EMS personnel, all supported by a 27-person auxiliary. Last year they responded to 1215 fire alarms and 6721 EMS calls. The history of this independent non-profit department, which has always been very dependent on the donations of the people of Lewes is an interesting story we all can share with pride. The first known Fire Chief of the Lewes Fire Department was Edward Duffy who was a member of the Hope Hose and Steam Fire Company of Philadelphia before coming to Lewes in 1871. Staring in 1886, the Fire Company met in Town Hall. In 1908, the town purchased a Holloway Hook and Ladder truck, an up-to-date piece of equipment. In 1911 the Company purchased their first piece of motorized equipment, the American La France Chemical truck which had all modern fire-firefighting equipment-but no pump. The next year they quickly reorganized and raised the membership age from 18 to 21. In 1916 the third Monday of the month was established as meeting date for the Department. Today, the Lewes Voluntary Fire Department still meets on the evening of the third Monday of the month in Station #2 after sharing dinner served by the auxiliary. Some things never change.
The 1920s brought massive fires to Lewes and big changes to the Company. In December 1920 a major fire hit the business district on the west side of 2nd street known as the “Vessels Fire” destroying several businesses and homes. A plea to “send help” had to go out to fire companies across the state to provide mutual aide. On a brighter note, in 1921 the Fire Company became a member of the newly formed Delaware Volunteer Firemen’s Association (DVFA). In1923 the Lewes Fire Department was incorporated and the next year they hosted the DVFA convention. The DVFA organized the first formal training for volunteer firemen supported by their educational committee and the State Department of Vocational and Technical Training. They held classes in abandoned houses, fire station and any location they could find. It would take until November 1964 when the Delaware State Fire School was created as a State agency for more formal training to be developed. It took until 1966 for construction of the school to even begin. Today it takes 3-4 months for probationary Department members to complete the Firefighter 1 and 2 classes totaling 164-168 hours of training offered at the Delaware State Fire School at a costs of $1800, paid by their fire Department. The cost of the training does not include the $7,000-$8000 a Department pays to provide a firefighter with basic equipment.
In 1924 red lights were placed on top of all the fire equipment. Over the years the Department had regularly acquired the most up to date firefighting equipment. By 1925 the Department bought an American La France triple combination Motor Truck equipped with a 750-gallon pump, chemical tank, and ladders, etc. for $12,750. The was a lot of money back then; but it seems like a bargain compared to the $1.4 million a fire truck can cost today. That winter also brought the “Great Hotel Rodney Fire” at the corner of Savannah and Front Streets. The fire was so big that a call for help was sent to other fire companies, and some equipment had to be transported by train to fight the fire. In 1931 the department finally moved from Lewes Town Hall and Fire House department finally moved from the Lewes Town Hall and Fire House on 3rd Street, (which is now Auntie M’s antiques), by purchasing a garage at 347 Savannah Road which is stilt the Station 1 headquarters today. When purchased there was only one garage door and all apparatus was angled to access it until 1954 when the Department remodeled to be 3 doors. After the downtown New Years Eve fire in 1970 the Department bought our its first ladder truck in 1971 which needed an addition to the station to house it. To keep up with the growth in the district, in 1988 we established a temporary Station 2 in Nassau Commons and then purchased land and built a permanent Station 2 on Janice Rd. in Nassau in 1991. The volunteer membership built most of the building. That would be their home until 1991, After Fire Station 2 was completed in 1991, and the present Fire Station 1 was razed and re-constructed in 1991-1992 and went into service in 1993. Again, due to growth, in 2002 Lewes and Rehoboth Beach went in together on building a Fire Station 3 in the Angola area for both districts. This was completed in 2003 and is one of only a few shared volunteer stations in the country. In 2007 a Museum was added to Station 1 to display the antique fire apparatus, history, and add needed storage, named after Louis A. Richards, the Department President that died in the line of duty in 2002. Station 2 was razed and replaced with the current larger modern Station 2 in 2015. Station 1 was once again renovated and modernized in 2024 to add living quarters and an elevator. Keeping up with the district growth is a constant endeavor.
A major change occurred in 1954 when the Fire Department voted to add an ambulance service. Prior to that time Beebe Hospital provided limited ambulance service. There was no special EMT course. Instead 15 Department members completed an 11-week First Aid Training Program sponsored by the American Red Cross taught by Bill Stevenson in the fire station. The course was modified to include lifting, carrying and handling of the patient stretcher. Training for operating the ambulance was done by the Fire Department Chief Engineer. Beebe Hospital donated a ambulance to help the Fire Department get started; but given its questionable condition it had to be quickly replaced with a new Cadillac Ambulance costing $8,800 and donated by the Lions Club. Ambulance policies were sold for $5 each. From 1954-1962 during the day citizens would request an ambulance by calling the Beebe Hospital operator, who then called the Board of Works power plant attendant who took the information and sounded the fire siren one cycle calling the Fire Department ambulance squad to the Fire house to get the information. Overnight members of the ambulance squad who were on call left their telephone number with the Beebe operator who only had to contact the power plant attendant if there were not two “on call” members that responded. In 1965 a 911 call system was put in place. There would not be a second ambulance until 1973. The concept of an EMT did not exist until the late 1960s-1970s. Today an ambulance costs approximately $425,000 and requires a trained driver and 1 certified EMT.
The Lewes Fire Department continued to serve and protect the town through many disasters.
During the “Great Storm of March 1962 when the tide reached record levels pouring onto the beach smashing through pull parking, the Department assisted in evacuating the Sam Eschenbach Family off the beach to safety. When additional troops were called to assist with rescues and prevent looting, US Coast Guardsmen were transferred to the Lewes Fire House after their station at Indian River was flooded. The United State Second Army detachment was also assigned to the Lewes Fire Department for shelter and duty. At the same time the Lewes Fire Department was answering hundreds of calls for all types of assistance.
Nothing compares to the New Year’s Eve Fire of 1970 in Lewes when the town faced high northeast winds, heavy snow and coastal flooding. By 9pm the heavy snow had changed to rain, creating trenches of slush on the 5 inches of snow and winds were 40-55 miles a hour. Within the next hour Engine 82-2 responded to a fire at “Big Sixes,” a restaurant, gas station, tackle store and apartment complex at Savannah Road and Front Street near the bridge. The complex washeavily under fire and spreading due to the 50 mile an hour winds coming off the bay. A second alarm went out and Engines 82-1 and 82-4 joined in fighting the fire which quickly was out of control spreading to the three-story Marvel House on Savannah Road and the three-story Highlander House on Front Street. Rehoboth Beach and Milton Fire Department arrived to assist and calls went out to Georgetown and Milford to send help. The Lewes Board of Public Works had to turn off the electricity in the business district with flames in excess of 50 miles per hours rising in the dark. At 11:30pm although still burning, the put fire was under control by over 200 firefighters and 25 pieces of equipment. But 4 hours later around 3am another fire siren announced a building fire at the corner at the Corners Inn on Savannah Road extended at Waistcoats Corner. The structure quickly burned to the ground when the blaze could not be controlled.
It is not just during these fires and emergencies of the past that the Lewes Fire Department has served the town when in desperate need. Many of us can remember the 911 calls that went out for help during the not so distant COVID epidemic. Those were the days when our first responders were regularly declared heroes, risking their lives to save others.
Another major change occurred in 1986 when the Department purchased its first boat, the original Marine 1. They followed that with the purchase of the Seahawk in 1990 and the Moose 44’ boat in 2008. The docking facility was added in 2014 and the Willard’s Boat in 2019. In 2023, the Department took delivery new vessel known as 82-Marine, funded a FEMA grant program.
The Lewes Fire Department is not just a history of equipment, training, fire and rescue calls. It has been part of the fabric of the community for many many years. Research shows in 1925 the Department held an annual Christmas Party for children who each received an apple or orange from Santa. After World War II the Department raffled off donated toys with Santa drawing the names of children out of a bucket. From 1914 into the early 1950s there was the annual Lewes Firemen’s carnival. The carnival took place on King’s Highway by the former railroad station in what is now Stango Park. The carnival was kicked off with a parade through the town to the carnival grounds with fire companies throughout the state participating. There were children’s rides, games of chance, gambling wheels, duck pods, food baths, bingo games and some years a raffled off car. It was a great money raiser that disappeared in the early fifties. Attempts to start it up again in the sixties failed. Today, the Department participates in the festivities of Lewes NightOut. There is an annual Open House at Station #2 with face painting, coloring contests, fire prevention and other educational activities for the whole family. Each year the Fire Department Auxiliary holds a Strawberry Festival in May and an Apple Festival in the Fall. This Year there will also be a Peach Festival in July. They too are great money raisers.
So the Lewes Fire Department and its volunteers continue to serve and celebrate the community as they have for over 228 years.
All of the historical content for this article is from Lewes Fire Department Inc. 1796-1996: 200 Year History Protecting The Cape, 1995, Lewes Fire Department Inc., authored by Louis A Richard. Special thanks to Craig R. Stephens who serves as the Fire Department Historian of his review and update of all the information.