MBFD History
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After a terrible fire at the Lancaster
House on Woodstock Hill in January 1934, Vernon T.
Wetherell decided to form a fire department. He
collected $1200 with the help of the 18 other Charter
Members and they purchased a
Lincoln car, which was the department's first apparatus. It was
converted into a fire truck by adding hose, a Ford motor, a pump, and putting it
all onto a wooden platform. The Muddy Brook Fire Department's first call
was a chimney fire in February of 1935. The first regular fire station was at
the Old Advent Church in East Woodstock, and an old garage in North
Woodstock. The department's trucks and equipment were moved back and forth
every six months between North and East Woodstock. That is the reason why
today Muddy Brook protects North AND East Woodstock. The land where the
current station sits was originally owned by the state and was given to the Town
of Woodstock. In 1934 the Town of Woodstock gave the land to the Muddy
Brook Fire Department for "full and free use for fire department, social
and educational purposes." The land was on the state road (now
Woodstock Rd.) half way between North and East Woodstock. It was a perfect
spot to protect the two areas from one station.
The first calls were sounded by a steel bar and triangle that is still
located on the left side of the station today. The bar was used to strike
the triangle and sound the alarm that there was a fire. Shortly
after, when someone called for help it went to the Putnam dispatcher, who
then activated the sirens atop the North and East Woodstock churches and
the fire station. These sirens alerted the department members of a call.
One of these sirens is still active on top of the Muddy Brook Fire station.
When the first department member got to the station, they would pick up a phone
linked directly to the Putnam dispatcher who would then say where the fire
was. The Muddy Brook member would write the address on a caulk board and
then get into the truck to drive to the call.
In 1940 the department purchased a second hand Ford 1 1/2 ton chassis and built a wooden body to carry the pump, a 200-gallon tank and equipment. A few years later the department's first truck, the Lincoln, was replaced with a Chevrolet. In 1945 the Ford was upgraded to a custom built body with a front mounted pump. In 1947 a new Ford 1 1/2 ton chassis was purchased to replace the Chevrolet. The new Ford had a custom built body, 500-gallon tank, and a pump on it. While the land for a station was given to the department in 1934, it was not until the fall of 1943 that enough money was raised to build the station. The "garage" built was 30'x50' with three bays and a meeting area that had a stove and a coffeepot. At the time a fire station was not a fire station without a coffeepot on a stove. The original part of the station was completed in the spring of 1944.
In 1950 the stations 9'x9' doors were replaced with 11'x9' doors to accommodate the purchase of a second hand oil tank truck that July. This had a huge (for the day) GMC 140 horsepower cab-over engine with eight-wheel drive and a 2100-gallon tank. The GMC was purchased on a Saturday, ready to go by Monday, and responded to a fire at the town dump on that Friday. Over the years the department purchased, replaced and refurbished many vehicles. The department also expanded the station from three bays, to five, then to the eight currently. A meeting room, bathroom and office were also all added.
The early 1990’s were a time of training and additions. With the rise of hazardous materials many members were trained in how to handle them in addition to the regular trainings in fire/rescue/EMS that fire departments were expected to perform. Important equipment additions to the department were a Gas/Oxygen/CO detector, defibrillator, ArcAir cutting torch, and 5” Large Diameter Hose to replace the 4” L.D.H. Rescue 475 was placed into service to provide a vehicle for the heavy rescue equipment, Forestry 175 had its first call on August 4, 1993 and three new bays were added to the fire station.
The late 1990’s were focused around upgrades. Muddy Brook purchased all new SCBAs and portable radios, purchased a SCOTT Eagle Thermal Imaging Camera in 1999, two Pro-Pak foam units, a foam nozzle, hydraulic cutter and many technology improvements. The department also built an office within the station, started work on a plan to receive money from the town and refurbished some of the apparatus.
The fiscal year 2000-2001 was the first time in the department's history that it received money from the town. By receiving money from the town the department was no longer completely dependent on donations and fundraising activities to support the departments mission. The money helped with operating costs, training, equipment and the rising maintenance costs.
In 2003 the department was awarded over $60,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's FIRE ACT Grant program. The award was granted to purchase new PBI turnout gear for the department members. The new turnout gear provided a higher level of safety over previous styles. The department also placed into service three new apparatus: a GMC Savana Pro van for medical emergencies, a Crimson Fire Heavy Rescue truck that replaced Rescue 375 and Rescue 475, and a Crimson Fire Tanker that replaced Engine-Tank 175. The grant and new apparatus made 2003 a year like no other in the history of the Muddy Brook Fire Department
Since the year 2000 Muddy Brook has worked hard to continue serving the public and its members. The department has continued to serve the public through public education, new and better extrication equipment, a second thermal imager camera, and expanded knowledge and equipment to deal with hazardous materials. It has also been working harder to improve member safety with better personal protective equipment, more training and better tools to do the many jobs of today’s fire department.
L to R: Hose 175, Rescue 475, Rescue 375, Forestry 175, Engine-Tank 175, Engine-Tank 275, Engine 175. August 1999.
Today the Muddy Brook Fire Department operates out of the expanded initial station on Woodstock Road with two engine-tanks, two rescues, an engine, a hose, a forestry truck, and a service truck. While the equipment today might be more high tech and safer, have members better trained and pagers to alert us of a call, some things will never change... The department members have and will continue volunteering their time and services, and when a fire comes in the siren atop the original part of the station still wails.
Charter Members
Arvid Anderson, Emil Anderson, William Anderson, Lester Bearce, Calvin Brown, Franklin Converse, Ray Eddy, Harold Foskett, Lyman Hibbard, Donald Hicks, Spencer Jordan, Wade Marvin, Edward Mulligan, Leon Sparrow, Harry Strand, Arthur Swenson, Harry Trask, Vernon Wetherell, Daniel Williams
Department Chiefs
Arvid E. Anderson 1/14/35 -- 9/19/38
Harry L. Trask 9/19/38 -- 8/08/43
Herbert W. Wilkinson, Jr. 8/08/43 -- 5/01/44
Wade G. Marvin 5/01/44 -- 11/12/45
G. Alfred Wetherell 11/12/45 -- 11/14/49
Vernon T. Wetherell 11/14/49 -- 11/09/64
Kenneth W. Marvin 11/09/64 -- 11/08/71
Robert Wilde 11/08/71 -- 5/22/90
George W. Brown 5/22/90 -- 2/10/92
Richard G. Baron 2/10/92 -- 11/13/95
Joseph E. Hebert 11/13/95 -- 11/11/96
Russell J. Dowd 11/11/96 -- 11/13/06
Peter M. Engh 11/13/06 -- Currently Serving