History of West Wyoming Hose Company No. 1

The History of West Wyoming Hose Company No. 1 was taken from the West Wyoming Centennial book that was published in 1998.
West Wyoming Hose Company No. 1 organized for public service on May 6, 1908. J.I. Hunlock and a small group of citizens met to form the volunteer fire department. The fire company’s first officers were J.I. Shoemaker, presendent; J.E. Durland, secretary; W.J. Fowler, treasurer. In June of the same year, a committee was appointed to raise funds to purchase the first fire apparatus.

On June 17, 1909, the fire company was formally organized with 65 chartered memebers and J.I. Shoemaker as president.

Within a year, the committee raised enough money to purchase fire apparatus at $120. A two-wheeled cart with 1,000 feet of hose, several buckets and axes composed the first apparatus. The first volunteer fire crew to use thenew equipment consisted of Harry Schooley, fire chief; John B. Halpin, assistant; John Robinson and Cleveland Safford, pipemen; Daniel Halpin, Edward E. English and John Troy, axemen; William Boland and P.F. Herbert, nozzlemen.

The first fire fought in West Wyoming was on October 1911. The crew resopnded to an alarm when the Pollock Hotel was destroyed by the fire. The company called this “our first fire.” Due to the recognized efficiency of the fire company, insurance rates in the borough have continually reduced.

In chronological order, the presidents since 1908 have been: J.L. Shoemaker, Harry Schooley, John Robinson, John Felts, William Rozelle, John Robinson, B.J. Space, Lewis Burkett, M.B. Carey, W.F. Rozelle, Alex Craig, Lewis Burkett, Laurence Heffers, Joseph Cotter, Stanley Gritzen, Frank Fosko, William Cotter, Jr., William Shemansky, Henry Pasquali, Stanley Gritzen and Steven Napkora, Walter Mack, Don Lyons, Amerigo Morgantini, George Nocek, Joe. Belgliomini, John Rakos, Leonard Tarreto, Thomas Loftus, Gene Raymond, Michael Salvo, Joseph Herbert, Ed Herbert, Robert Connors, James Karney, and current president Len Hromek.

Firefighter Links:
pafirefighters.com