In 1941, a 1920’s Packard touring car, allegedly originally owned by Andrew Mellon, was secured and converted into our first squad/rescue truck. During WWII, equipment including a trailer mounted fire pump was donated by the Federal Government, and the fire company was very active in the Civilian Defense Corps. In 1947, the fire company’s first new piece of fire apparatus was delivered; an American LaFrance pumper equipped with a 750 gallon per minute pump and a booster tank holding 500 gallons of water, with the most modern equipment, including flood lights and a Deluge Nozzle.
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In 1950, a new Ford Squad Truck was purchased, and used for rescue, salvage, first aid, and sometimes, even an ambulance. This truck provided “the first ride” in a fire truck for many of our future firemen, during our annual Street Fair in late July each year.
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By 1956, all six fire companies in Shaler Township were equipped with base radios in their fire stations and mobile radios in their fire apparatus, along with a central alarm system being dispatched by the Shaler Township Police dispatch center, which further enhanced the abilities of the firemen to respond quicker to all alarms and emergencies. In that same year, anticipating further growth of our fire company, we purchased three lots on Davis Avenue, in the rear of our old station.
In 1957, due to the rapid growth of new homes in the First District, a second new fire engine was purchased. This FWD (Four Wheel Drive) pumper was also equipped with a 750 GPM pump and a 500-gallon booster tank, similar to our other pumper currently being used. This new fire engine served the fire company well over the next 20+ years in controlling brush fires, which were then a regular occurrence.
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In 1959, three additional lots were purchased on Davis Avenue.
With overcrowding of fire apparatus in the current fire station on Parker St (originally built as a schoolhouse) when trucks were less half the size/weight they are now, much thought was given to the erection of a new garage on Davis Ave. Construction began in 1964, and when it was completed, the 50’ by 70’ building had three bays for the trucks, a rest room, a radio room, and storage rooms in the rear. The members at that time had the foresight to build the new station with large enough garage doors that could accommodate trucks nearly 14’ high in the decades to follow. In 1967, an emergency generator was installed in the rear of the new garage to provide backup power to both buildings, in the event of a power outage. In 1968, a new Ford model C chassis was purchased to replace the twenty-year old chassis of the Squad Truck, and the older body was transferred onto it. This truck would faithfully serve another sixteen years before being completely replaced. The gravel lots between the old station and new garage were paved.
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After faithfully serving as a front-line piece of apparatus for 22 years in 1969, the line officers of the company decided it was time to replace the American LaFrance pumper. In 1970, a new state-of-art Mack CF600 pumper was purchased at a cost of $48,000, referred to as Engine 1. This truck was equipped with a larger pump of 1000 GPM capacity and 500 gallons of water on board. This truck was the first diesel-powered fire engine in Shaler Township. Mack Trucks paid Cherry City VFC $50 each time it was shown to another prospective fire company.
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On June 22nd, 1972, Hurricane Agnes came through the Pittsburgh area as we were finishing up with our weekly Bingo. We were dispatched to assist Millvale and Etna. We pumped out numerous basements, moved furniture, and delivered food and other emergency aid for the next seven days.
With the increased costs of funding a fire company, the members decided it was time to build a new facility/social hall to aid in fundraising efforts. Completed in 1974 and dedicated in 1975, the construction costs were nearly $300,000. The members stepped up to make the mortgage payments in record time, paying off the debt in the years that followed, long before the note was due.
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A major milestone in lifesaving occurred in 1976, when our fire company purchased our first Hurst Tool, commonly known as, the “Jaws of Life.” This piece of hydraulic equipment further advanced our capabilities in rescue situations and helped save many lives over the next 30 years of use before it was replaced with a newer and lighter model (78 lbs. vs 52 lbs.).
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In 1978, the aging 1957 FWD pumper was needing to be replaced and the members looked no further than Mack Trucks again to provide another piece of fire apparatus. A 1978 Mack CF600 pumper, the first automatic transmission-equipped vehicle in this fire company, was purchased, referred to as Engine 2. Like the 1970 model already in service, this truck would also have rescue tools and be equipped with Class B firefighting foam system for liquid fuel fires.
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