[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 188 (Tuesday, November 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H13666-H13667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COLONIAL BEACH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT 100TH ANNIVERSARY

  (Mr. BLILEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department 
got its start in March 1884, with a resolution passed at the 35th 
meeting of the town council, promising cooperation with property owners 
in raising funds to purchase a fire extinguishing apparatus to be 
operated by a volunteer fire company. A committee was appointed in 
October 1895, to ascertain the cost and to determine how much money 
interested citizens would contribute toward its purchase.
  A request was received in July 1896, from the Howe Pump and Engine 
Company of Indianapolis, IN, to demonstrate a piece of fire apparatus 
in Colonial Beach, VA. The apparatus was to be drawn by a team of two 
horses, and would be operated by eight men, four on each side of the 
pump by cantilever action. It would be capable of dispensing 60 gallons 
of water per minute and was equipped with 500 feet of 2\1/4\ inch 

[[Page H 13667]]
hose. One of the rear wheels had a striker, which hit a gong with each 
revolution of the wheel. The apparatus was purchased in August 1896, 
for $875, a far cry from the $250,000 to $500,000 required to purchase 
one today. Since the fire department did not own any horses, it was 
agreed to purchase a set of double harnesses and that a premium of $2 
be given to the first person to reach the fire house with two good fast 
horses and hookup to the apparatus.
  Today's fire sirens, beepers, and radios are a far cry from the way 
fire alarms used to be sounded. The first alarm used in Colonial Beach, 
was by striking a metal triangle with a hammer and later on a large 
ring was struck with a sledge hammer. Both the triangle and the ring 
are displayed at the fire station on Colonial Avenue.
  In August 1896, a bid was submitted by Charles Pfeil to build the 
first fire house for a sum of $24. A year later, Pfeil was appointed 
fire chief at a salary of $3 per month. His duties were to keep the 
apparatus, fire house, and fixtures clean and in ready condition. The 
fire house was moved to the old town hall in March 1907 and did not 
move again until another fire house was built in 1940. In 1952, a 
second story was added with the help of the Ladies Auxiliary. A brand 
new building was built in 1961 on Colonial Avenue and is the current 
fire house.
  The first 100 years of the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department 
have been an exciting time of service and growth. The department has 
always stayed one step ahead of its peers with new, innovative thinking 
and proactive programs. Their members have committed themselves for 
over 100 years now with a sense of pride, tradition, and service to all 
those in their community. The Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department 
vows to continue to carry the high level of professional service that 
has become their hallmark into the next century, protecting the 
citizens of the community through the next 100 years.

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