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     In the December of 1946, a stove started a fire in the home of William G. McClellan. Hebron did not have a fire company at the time, so the town relied on the help of the surrounding town’s fire departments. The men and boys from Hebron who rushed to help put out the fire did not have the proper training to fight fires so they could only watch as the fire destroyed the home. By the time that the Salem Fire Department arrived, all that could be saved was the cellar hole. On this day, the idea of a fire company for the Town of Hebron was born. 

     In the January of 1947, town members attended a meeting to discuss the possible organization of a fire company. On February 20th, 1947, the Hebron Volunteer Fire Company began. The first chief elected to serve was Kermit White with Ed Tebordo as his assistant. John Barkley was elected to be the treasurer and Ralph Keyes was elected to be the secretary. The newly formed fire company asked people of the town for monetary donations to purchase some fire equipment. When sufficient funds were raised, a US Army surplus pump mounted on a trailer was the first piece of equipment they got. A phone tree system was created to notify members that they were needed. When a call came, a member who had a vehicle with a tow hitch would pull the trailer behind them and off they would go. This method of towing was dangerous, so the next piece of equipment purchased was a Dodge power wagon to carry the pump. This truck was the first brush truck put into service in Washington County. 

     The parcel of land where the West Hebron fire station stands today was purchased from Abby Hanna in 1949, this purchase of land also included a field across the road that was made into a large ball field. As this fire company is a volunteer based organization, fundraisers are a large part of how we raise money. The very first fundraiser was a carnival held in 1947. 

     The original area that Hebron’s fire company covered was West Hebron, east to Middle Road and north to Benn Road. All remaining areas were covered by Granville and/or Salem’s fire departments. In 1965, the Hebron fire company expanded to provide coverage to the east side of town. This presented a response time problem. In 1978, some East Hebron homes were lost to fire due to a long response time from West Hebron. A group of community members began to talk about building a fire station in East Hebron. Nellie Getty, joined the fire company to serve the town of Hebron along with their male counterparts. Those interested town members met with the members of the fire company who strongly agreed with the idea of a fire station in East Hebron. Nellie and Alfred “Pug” Getty generously donated the land where the East Hebron fire house stands today. Once the station was built, two trucks, a tanker and a pumper, were housed there. Unique to this time period, three women, Pat Waite, Rena Braymer and     Within the fire company, the Hebron Fire Police and Hebron First Response Team were organized. The job of the fire police is to direct and control traffic at fire and accident scenes. The First Response Team is made up of members who are trained to deal with and respond to medical emergencies before a rescue squad arrives. 

     The Hebron Volunteer Fire Company now includes two fire stations, six fully equipped fire trucks, a modern pager system, and men and women dedicated to volunteering their time to serving the members of our community and, if called upon, surrounding towns. I am proud and excited that I have the privilege to serve in this fire company alongside these brave souls who put other people’s safety and possessions before their own comfort. 

Written By: Alice Coldwell and Roxanne Peck. Edited by: Jenna Getty 2018.

Hebron Volunteer Fire Company Inc. © 2018