The history of the
Wanamassa Fire Company
Our beginnings
In the early 1920s, Wanamassa was a rapidly growing community, and with this growth came the need for reliable fire protection. A small group of local men, driven by a desire to safeguard their homes and families, came together to form the Wanamassa Fire Company. The first firehouse, a modest structure, became a central hub for community engagement and emergency response. Initial fire-fighting equipment was limited, often relying on basic tools and the strong will of the volunteers.
Growth through time
As the community evolved, so did the fire company. In the 1950s, Wanamassa Fire Company expanded its facilities and upgraded its equipment, keeping pace with advancements in fire service. Our team remained composed of volunteers, embodying the spirit of selflessness and bravery. Over the decades, we responded to hundreds of calls, from small fires to major community emergencies, always ready to serve.
Present day
Today, Wanamassa Fire Company operates from a modern firehouse equipped with advanced apparatus and technologies that allow us to respond quickly and effectively to any emergency. We maintain rigorous training programs, ensuring our members are always prepared to face the challenges of modern firefighting. Our mission remains the same as it was a century ago: to protect life, property, and our community.
Remembering our deceased members
Our memorial site is located on Lake Avenue, between Grassmere Avenue and Bendermere Avenue at Fireman's Pond.
The link below brings you to our "virtual cemetery", where you will find a list of all our departed members along with a short biography of each.
Wanamassa Fire Co. & First Aid Squad Virtual Cemetery
We thank Company Historians, Ex-Chief Bruce Horn and Chief Ed Horn for their hard work and dedication to make sure no member was forgotten.
The ex-chiefs of the Wanamassa Fire Company
Sidney Van Dyke
1922 & 1923
John Jackson Sr.
1924
George Patterson
1925
Charles Robinson
1926 & 1927
William Robins
1928
Richard Garrity
1929
Francis Wyckoff
1930
Edward Fitzmaurice
1936
Corbet Applegate
1931
James Garrity Sr.*
1937
William Bastedo
1932
Harry Woolman
1938
John H. Moor, Jr.
1933
James Sanderson
1939
Harold Shannon
1934
James McCollough
1940
Robert McGrath
1935
Ralph Dangler
1941
Andrew Garrity
1942
Joseph Brown
1948
Howard Hundertpfund
1954
Oliver
Hoppac
1961
Donald Crosta
1967
Jerome Smith
1973
Bruce
Horn
1979
James Pemberton Sr.
1985
Earl H. Gifford
1991
Shawn Murtha
1997
Django Weigers
2003
Timothy J. Clarke
2009
Dean H. Schoch II
2019 & 2020
Lester Henry
1943
Charles McGrath
1949
John Garrity
1955
Horace Hughes
1962
John
Delisa
1968
James Serano
1974
Marvin Marshall
1980
Brian Conover
1986
James
Pemberton Sr.
1992
Thomas K. Haege
1998
Kenneth Kenlein
2004
Scott W. Valenti
2010
Nicholas Dowling
2021 & 2022
Wallace Covert
1944
Wallace Covert
1950
T.
Robinson
1956
Fred
Baatz Sr.
1963
Larry Williamson
1969
Stan Leitstein
1975
Richard Cohen
1981
Dean Schoch
1987
James Scollay
1993
W. Michael Evans
1999
Doug Rhoades
2005
James E. Pemberton Sr.
2011 & 2012
Edward
Horn
2023 & 2024
Joseph Hundertpfund
1945
Walter Horn Sr.
1951
John
Carter
1957 & 1958
Gilbert
Haege Sr.
1964
Marshall Conklin
1970
Cliff
Miller
1976
Walter
Horn Jr.
1982
Brian Conover
1988
Thomas Haege
1994
Paul
Matyas
2000
John
Green
2006
W. Michael Evans
2013 & 2014
John Jackson Jr.
1946
Frank Roberts
1952
Ben DeAngelis
1959
Charles Lambertson
1965
Harold Scott
1971
Lewis B. Evans Jr.
1977
Alex Delonardo
1983
W. Michael Evans
1989
Vacated Position
1995
Django Weigers
2001
Kenneth Kenlein
2007
Jon Losquadro
2015 & 2016
Ernest Daley
1947
William Bruns
1953
Oliver Hoppach
1960
George Nungesser
1966
Robert Grant
1972
John O'Connell
1978
Dean Schoch
1984
James Pemberton Sr.
1990
Edward Horn
1996
Timothy Varian
2002
W. Michael Evans
2008
Brian Pemberton
2017 & 2018
Apparatus through the years
