The Stratford Fire Company No. 1 was organized in June, 1908 and Incorporated June 1, 1909.
The original equipment was a two-wheeled cart on which was carried a quantity of garden hose and a few buckets. There being no fire house, this equipment was stored on the premises of Mr. Kleinschmidt. Business meetings were held in the homes of the members.
In 1911 a fire house was built, meetings were held there and the equipment housed. A truck was added to the equipment and used to carry a home-made ladder about 25 ft. long and a number of leather buckets.
The original membership consisted of the following:
| Richard Cain | Fred Hamilton | Samuel Simpkins | John Kelly | Roydon Lippincott |
| Raymond Ellis | Walter Martin | Ralph Jones | Wm. Kleinschmidt | A.W. Martin |
About 1915 the Company purchased a Chemical Wagon from the Wildwood Fire Department. On an alarm this was usually drawn by Mr. Simpkins’s horses. When they were not available any teamster in sight had his horses “borrowed”. Later Mr. Herbert Nicholson, who was in the Ice and Coal business, purchased an auto truck and had a special tow-bar made for attachment to the Chemical Wagon. This made the going much easier.
In 1917 a one-ton Ford chassis was purchased on which was placed the tanks and other equipment. The need for more adequate equipment developed and on January 6, 1924 a 350-gallon Hale pumper was put in service. In 1926 the old Chemical Wagon was replaced by a new LaFrance truck on which was placed four (4) 35-gallon tanks.
During the years new and better equipment was added, such as longer ladders, gas masks, first aid kits, hand extinguishers, etc. The old railroad tire alarm had been discarded and a modern electric siren installed.
The fire house originally was a one-story building. In 1922 this building was raised and a basement built under it, as well as an addition at the rear. In this addition the fire equipment was housed. The new basement and the original room, now the second floor, were used for recreational and social affairs. The raising of funds for the accomplishment of this project began January 19, 1916.
(check events leading up and turning the Fire House and Equipment over to the Boro)
Organization of a fire company in Stratford was brought about by a fire in April, 1908, which destroyed the American Ice Company’s ice houses in Kirkwood and the homes of William Kleinschmidt and John H. Ogg.
The two-wheeled cart was built by William Kleinschmidt.
The Company claims the inception of the motto “Fire Prevention is more important than Fire-fighting”. A 40 ft. extension ladder was donated to the Company by Charles S. King in April, 1925 in gratitude for services rendered by the Firemen in the saving of his home from destruction by fire.
In 1953, the original fire house built in 1911 was destroyed by a fire. In 1954 a new fire house was built adjacent to the Borough Hall. In 1963 the fire house quarters were enlarged.
As the size of the fire trucks increased, so did the need for a building that could house them. Around 2004, the police department and courtroom were relocated to the other side of Union Avenue, now occupying the former post office building to make room for the new two-story fire house.
The new fire house currently houses all the fire apparatus and equipment along with second floor offices and meeting rooms.