[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 124 (Monday, July 21, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE BOURNE FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 21, 2025

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Bourne 
Fire Department, as it celebrated its 100th anniversary on July 5, 
2025.
  While the Bourne Fire Department was officially established on July 
5, 1925, the Town of Bourne has a long history of advancing public 
safety dating back to the 1890s, when the town appointed a fire and 
forest warden following several brush fires. In the event of a fire, 
the warden was able to recruit volunteers and pay them 50 cents an hour 
to assist in firefighting efforts.
  The roots of the Bourne Fire Department can be traced back to 1904, 
when a group named the Buzzards Bay Progressive Society organized the 
first local bucket brigade in response to the growing threat of fires. 
At a time when each village was tasked with providing its own 
firefighting services, the Progressive Society took a leading role. 
Members purchased the first fire apparatus stored at Cohasset Hall on 
Main Street, which would later serve as the Bourne Fire Department's 
first station. Sadly, the original headquarters burned down in 
September 1931. While the department was fighting a fire 700 feet away 
at a barn behind the Buzzards Bay Hotel, a spark ignited the roof of 
Cohasset Hall. The Buzzards Bay Fire Station was rebuilt the following 
year on Main Street and served as the headquarters until 2017, when the 
department moved its headquarters to the Sagamore Fire Station.
  Throughout the early 1900s, the need for a more formalized fire 
department became apparent, and the town began laying the necessary 
groundwork. It established a Board of Fire Engineers, with Ralph 
Johnson serving as the Chief Engineer. Johnson would go on to become 
the town's first Fire Chief.
  In 1924, the Maxim Fire Truck Company conducted a study to determine 
fire safety needs across the Bourne villages. Using the findings of 
that survey, articles to establish the Bourne Fire Department were 
drafted and brought to the 1925 Annual Town Meeting, where residents 
voted in favor of the measure. Bourne residents recognized the benefit 
of a townwide fire department to improve property protection, expand 
the tax base, and lower insurance rates. With an initial budget of 
$3,800, the new fire department paid $1 for the first hour of service 
responding to a fire, followed by 50 cents for each additional hour.
  Over the years, the Bourne Fire Department continued to expand and 
improve fire safety in the community, installing radios in 1938 to 
enhance communication and coordination during emergency responses and 
steadily increasing its personnel. Growing from a small professional 
fire department in 1925, the department now consists of nearly 40 full-
time firefighters, several call personnel, and an inventory of 20 
emergency response apparatus. With the Town of Bourne divided by the 
Cape Cod Canal, the fire department faces a unique challenge in 
ensuring the safety of residents and summertime visitors on both sides 
of the canal. This requires the department to have the capacity to 
respond to emergencies not only on land, but also on the water.
  On July 12th, the Bourne Fire Department held a centennial 
celebration at Buzzards Bay Park to honor the brave men and women who 
have served the Bourne community throughout the years and recognize the 
fire department's legacy of service, bravery, and community engagement 
that has defined the department since its inception on July 5, 1925.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the Bourne Fire Department, and I 
ask that my colleagues join me in thanking the dedicated firefighters 
who have tirelessly protected the Bourne community over the last 
century.

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