Somersworth NH Fire Department Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Lina Portman1 week ago

3 4 minutes read

SOMERSWORTH — The Somersworth Fire Department is days away from a major milestone, the 100th anniversary of the transition from a volunteer on-call fire department to a full-time professional department staffed by motor vehicles.

The modern Somersworth Fire Department came into existence on July 1, 1924.

“The city never had any horse-drawn or steam-powered vehicles,” said Skip Pepin, the department's designated historian. “The first devices were hand-pulled/pushed fire tubs” (in the 1840s-1850s).

Skip Pepin's family has a tradition of fighting fires. His father Martin, now a municipal councilor, was a firefighter for 32 years, full time and a year before that as an on-call firefighter. His grandfather and great-grandfather, a brother and a few uncles all served as firefighters, some in the city and others in other municipalities.

“I was a firefighter from 1988 to 1993,” Skip Pépin said. “Now I work in the police and fire dispatch department.”

At one time the town had five fire stations. They now have a brand new, state-of-the-art station on Maple Street.

“We had planned to turn the last survivor on Prospect Street into a memorial,” said Fire Lt. James Drakopoulos. “It was in a deplorable state, but before we could do any work to restore it, someone set it on fire. It burned to the ground.

Firefighting was a noble profession even 100 years ago, but it was a far cry from the science it is today.

The notification system consisted of a series of telephone booths scattered throughout the city, each with its own number. Skip Pepin said anyone who sees a fire can remove the box.

“Each box had a number, and when the fire horn sounded, everyone listened,” Skip Pépin said. “There was a tone, a series of knocks for each box. The firefighters had to memorize the boxes, know where the call was coming from. We would hear the fire alarm in our house and everyone would be silent. We would try to identify the call box, and by the time we did, my dad was in the car and on his way sometimes, if a fire was big enough, Berwick would see the smoke and was already on his way too.

Pépin's mother worked nights, first at a local tannery, then as a dispatcher for the city.

“When mom was working and there was a fire, we had to accompany our father,” says Pepin. “We were dressed and ready to go when the alarm went off. »

“My brother Christopher and I were little, between 2 and 4 years old,” he said. “We grew up with firefighters.”

Hand recorded fire logs

The fire logs were kept in a book, logs which can still be viewed today at the Summersworth Museum. The first device fired is also on display there.

“Initially, investigations into the cause of a fire were haphazard,” Drakopoulos said.

“Sometimes they never knew why a fire started,” Pépin said. “Even in large fires, like the mill fires. On September 8, 1930, Mill No. 2 was burning so hot that the windows on Main Street were shattering. Embers the size of footballs were seen fall on Elm Street. We don't know why it burned.”

The first motorized fire truck arrived in 1927

Pépin said the first motorized truck arrived in 1927, a ladder truck. By this time mutual aid had been established with the neighboring communities of Berwick, Rollinsford, Rochester and Dover.

“There was no self-contained breathing apparatus,” Drakopoulos said. “They handed out rubber coats, metal helmets.”

“For me, they gave me a hat, a uniform and taught me how to tie a fire hydrant hitch knot,” says Martin Pépin. “I put on a pack of tape and off we went. Arthur Nadeau was fire chief at the time.”

Skip Pepin said they lost a lot more firefighters during that time.

According to Drakopoulos, the biggest advances in firefighting must be in safety equipment and training.

“I was the kid who grew up chasing fire trucks,” said Drakopoulos, a 21-year veteran of the department. “Things are constantly improving in terms of security, and that's important. Everything is connected now, so a new station is essential. We can do anything here. We have even incorporated special measures to combat the risk of cancer, which we are all very aware of. Despite the risks, I love what I do.”

Drakopoulos said there were more fires today. He said a lot of that comes from the use of technology.

“Everything connects,” he said. “Not all homes are priced based on what people are currently trying to do.”

The mantra of a fire department now is training, safety and education.

“There's a lot of training now before anyone touches a fire,” Martin Pepin said. “And there's a lot more technology, more things to keep firefighters safe. Knowing what to do before you go to a fire makes a big difference. Things can go wrong very quickly.”

Martin Pépin retired in 2005 and says he still misses it.

“I still love firefighters,” he said. “One of the hardest things I ever did was walk through that door for the last time. I knew it was time, but my heart wanted to stay.”

The department is planning a special celebration to mark the anniversary. Drakopoulos said they are trying to track down as many former members as possible. He said they have located and contacted some, but they urge anyone else to contact the fire department by emailing Rachel Jalbert at [email protected] or by phone at 603-692-3456.

Hand recorded fire logs

The first motorized fire truck arrived in 1927

Lina Portman

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