History

Prior to 1949, The Peace Lutheran Church and the public school bell were used to summon help when a fire broke out. Residents, both women and men would grab ladders and buckets and run to the fire, where water was drawn from cisterns or pumpe from wells and puckets were filled and passed hand to hand to the men who were up on the ladders, and dumped the water on the fire. In those days, most of the fires were carried by sparks on the roof from open grste fires. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes not.

In the 1930's there was an organization formed in town called the Greenpock Improvement league, and they raised funds to purchase a fire siren. This was before the present school district was formed and the schools were in the Elizabeth Township School District where each town had its own school director. At that time Philip H. Sandmeyer was the director from Greenock. He was also a member of the improvement league and he gave permission for the siren to be erected on top of the old Greenock school building. A switch was installed on the front of the building. Henry F. Rojohn lived across from the school. He too was a member of the league and also had one of the few telephones in town. When a call came in, either by telephone or in person, he would hurry, as fast as he could go, over to the school and rang the siren. Areas of the town were divided by numbers from one to seven, and he was supposed to blow the siren.

A firefighter company formed in 1949 with some urging of local residents. In a few months, a Ford F-7 pu,per was purchased from Howe Brothers. It arrived in Greenock of April 1950 and the fire company had about $200 in their bank account.

On 24 April 1950, a deposit was made for the ground on top of the hill, where the present hall is located. Later a garage was built for the pumper with a local resident Ben Bowman laying the block.

In August of 1952 the fire company purchased the old Greenock School and made extensive alterations to it. In January of 1954, the fire company purchased a resusiator for use of area residents.

In 1950 there were 122 members

In 1951 there were 112 members

In 1952 there were 103 members

In 1962 there were 96 members

In 2001 there were 37 members

In 2002 there were 45 members

In 2008 there were 33 members

In 2011 there were 62 members

This fire company has always been involved with the community and community projects. In closing. I would like to commend the present officers and members of both the fire company and the auxiliary for continuing the service and tradition that began back in 1949 for the residents of Greenock.