PATERSON FIRE HISTORY
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36 Circle Avenue

​​Chronological Listing of Events and Apparatus at Circle Avenue

​January 10, 1913: The 36 Circle Avenue firehouse at the intersection of North 3rd and Clinton Streets was opened. It was built on the side of a cliff and has five stories, with level 3 being the floor on which the apparatus exited the firehouse.  This bizarre occurrence was featured in Ripley's "Believe it or Not" book. 

​On the side of the firehouse were a series of steep stone steps to connect upper and lower Clinton street
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Circa 1981 (79 ALF Pumper in bay)
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January 12, 1913: Engine Company 12 relocates from the Water Street Firehouse to 36 Circle Avenue. Official opening was at 8:15 PM
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
January 10, 1913; First Size Robinson Combination Motor Hose and Pumping Engine ("Jumbo") pictured below
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Apparatus and FF on apron of firehouse
June 15, 1913: Engine 12 responded to the West Paterson (then Totowa) High Bridge fire over the Passaic river and broke a shaft drafting water and had to go out of service for 2 weeks. See Notable Fires: 1913
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1918 Ball Book Roster
Captain John McGurk
Lieutenant Peter J. Breen
William McKelvey
William Shane
​Peter Ihrman
Aaron Kamerling
Ralph Miller
Harry Dews
​Carl Rose (in Armed Forces)
July 1, 1916: Two Platoon System begins: (Day and Night Shifts)
Day Shift
Night Shift
Captain John McGuirk
William McKelvey
​Ralph Miller
Carl Ross
Harry Dews
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Lieutenant Peter Breen
​William Shane
Peter Ihrman
Aaron Kamerling
​Peter Sanfird

1923: First Size American LaFrance Triple Combination Hose Chemical and Pumping Engine (Serial # 4415) with booster pump pictured below at a 1928 parade on Broadway (note solid rubber tires). Driver is William "Big Bill" McKelvey.
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1923 ALF on apron at Circle Avenue, now with pneumatic tires.
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Cowl of above ALF apparatus
1930 Company Roster
A Shift
Captain Joseph Mariani
George Probert
Ray Thompson
​William McKelvey
Herbert Dodds
​Watson Lauder
B Shift
Captain Peter Breen
James Sturrock
Henry Donaldson
​Nicholas Attema
George Walls
​Paul Ihrman
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1935: Men of Engine Company 12 A Shift: Engine 12 crew: (L to R) Captain Joseph Mariani, George Probert, Ray Thompson, William McKelvey, Herb Dodds and Watson Lauder
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 1935: Men of Engine Company 12 B Shift: Captain Peter J. Breen, James W. Sturrock, H Donaldson, Nicholas Attema, George A. Walls, Peter Ihrman
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1936 Ball Book
Front view, apparatus was housed on the 3rd floor, as the firehouse was built into the cliff
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Watson Lauder and Herb Dodds
​1940  Paterson Evening News Golden Jubilee - Engine Company 12 Roster
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Dayspring Collection
​Circa mid 1940s: Left to right: Firemen Bill McKelvey, Ernie Wildermuth, Edward Westhoven and Howard Probert.
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1946:  Ernie Wildermuth (appointed 1927) next to fence at 36 Circle Avenue (retired 1953)
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October 4, 1948: Engine Company 12 receives a new 1000 GPM Mack Model 95 pumper
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Engine Company 5 is in background and grill of Engine Company 12 is at right. L-R are Meyer Jaffe (clerk Board Police & Fire Commissioners), Harry B Haines (publisher Paterson Evening News), Jack Stern (Fire Commissioner), Mayor Michael Devita, ?, Chief James Troy and ? The drive in E5 is William Comer (a future Chief)
1949 Ball book photo of Engine Company 12 "A Shift" Captain Nicholas Attema, William McKelvey, Robert Marion, Paul Horomanski and Ernest Wildermuth
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1949 Ball book photo of Engine Company 12 "B Shift" Captain Thomas Scholfield, Edward Peters, Henry Borgman and Albert Horomanski. Mack pumper is behind the doors
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1950: Crew of E12 B-shift in front of Mack pumper at 36 Circle Ave quarters: Top L-R is Robert Marion, Captain Thomas Schofield, Patsy Fusaro and Henry Borgman. In front L-R are Ernie Wildermuth, Al Horomanski and Ed Peters.
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January 1952: 1951 FWD Waukesha, Model 145 GKB,  6 Cylinder, ​1000 GPM pumper: shown blow at 115 Van Houten Street when brand new. Company number not yet affixed in photo below.  Fore more information visit the FWD page
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Apparatus Dedication Plaque -- Pumper ordered in 1951, but entered service in 1952. Dayspring Collection
March 9, 1952: Engine 12 at intersection of Union and Redwood Avenues (3rd Alarm)
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Dayspring Collection
August 1953:  FF Henry Borgman sliding pole and driving, Captain Thomas Schofield climbing into cab and FF on rear step  (Staged photos)
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1954:
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Don Salmanowitz (appointed February 1954) and daughter
June 14, 1954: Engine Company 12 and Truck Company 2 were both damaged in a collision at Main Street and Broadway at 12:54 AM. Photo below shows the accident (as they were returning to quarters from a car fire at Cross and Passaic Streets). Fireman William Gallagher was sent to St. Joseph's Hospital and Captain Joseph Nardella treated at scene.  In the columns below there is a typo (misprint) - Deputy Chief Day is actually Chief Joseph Bray​
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Here is the official, very detailed report from Chief Hobart Strathearn
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1967: Men of Engine 12 in quarters with FWD pumper: Michael Fleming, Joseph Ozene, Leonard Bremus, Captain George Kilgour, Captain Donald Salmanowitz, Edward R. Kane, William Rasp, John A, Cichon, Anthony Lott.
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1967: Men of Engine 12 in quarters with FWD pumper:  Kenneth Doland, Captain Henry Borgmann, Captain Anthony Corbo, Albert Roth, Harold T. Morcom, William C. Filipelli, Harold Nicholas, Theodore C. Galus​.
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1968: Plywood riot roofs installed: cropped and full views below
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Out of service photos
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After being junked
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1954 Ball Book photo: L-R: Captain Nicholas Attema, Captain Thomas A. Scholfield,  Pelligrino Vitale, Edward Peters, Captain Albert Horomanski, Henry Borgmann, John Darakjy, William Gallagher, Robert Marion, William McKelvey (in his 42nd year of service)
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Quarter's Interior

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June 22, 1971: 1971 Hahn 1250 GPM pumper (Serial HC523127121)
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Fulton Street Fire April 30, 1978
Charlie Gorla, Bob Woodruff, Craig Christen at Circle Avenue 
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November 5, 1979: 1979 American LaFrance Model 1250 Century pumper painted yellow  (Serial CE6621). Detroit in-line 6, Allison Transmission HT-740D
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 Serial CE6621
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 Serial CE6621
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 Serial CE6621
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 Serial CE6621
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 Serial CE6621
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 Serial CE6621
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September 3, 1982: Engine Company 12 put out of service and renumbered as Engine Company 9
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1979 ALF (CE6621)
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1979 ALF (CE6621)
Drilling along Passaic River (River & Bridge Streets)
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1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)
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1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)
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1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)
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1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)
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1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)
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Empty bay of the third floor with Engine Company 9 out on a run 
​December 4, 1984: Because of structural issues the large pumper had to vacate 36 Circle Avenue and Engine Company 9 relocated to 77 Highland Street and the Satellite Company was created. 
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December 4, 1984: Satellite 9 ran out of 36 Circle Avenue using 1976 Ford Crewcab (formerly used by Squad 1) with two 1200 gallon deluge guns and hose. Two men manned the Satellite while the Captain and two firefighters were assigned to the actual pumper on Highland St. Circle ave was not the best of areas...It could somewhat unnerving with only 2 firefighters in that house in a high crime area.
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While the actual Engine engine was located on Highland St, quite a distance away, if the squad pulled up first due, they stretched the line and waited for the first arriving Engine to pull up and hooked into them....Other than that they connected with the "Mothership" at a fire scene.
January 13, 1985 at 39 Lafayette Street fire
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Bill Tompkins Photo
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95th Anniversary Parade scene on Union Ave by Hillcrest Firehouse
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Prior to the Parade
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June 13, 1987: 126 Broadway​ 2nd alarm Tour 1 -
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  • HOME
  • OVERVIEW
    • EVENTS 1890-1899
    • EVENTS 1900-1919
    • EVENTS 1920-1939
    • EVENTS 1940-1959
    • EVENTS 1960-1979
    • EVENTS 1980-99
    • EVENTS > 2000
  • FIREFIGHTERS
  • CHIEF ENGINEERS
    • ASSISTANT CHIEFS
    • DEPUTY CHIEFS
    • BATTALION CHIEFS
    • CHIEF GIGS
  • THE SUPREME SACRFICE
  • FIRE PHOTOS BY ERA
  • NOTABLE FIRES
  • GREAT 1902 CONFLIGRATION
  • COMPANY LOCATIONS
  • FIREHOUSE PHOTOS / FACTS
  • APPARATUS
  • APPARATUS VIDEOS
  • FIRE SCENE VIDEOS 1
  • FIRE SCENE VIDEOS 2
  • DOCUDRAMAS
  • NOTABLE EVENTS INDEX
    • APPARATUS NOTABLES
    • AWARDS
    • FIREMEN STORIES
    • GROUND ZERO
    • HANCOCKS
    • HISTORICAL REVIEWS
    • HISTORY by CHIEF STAGG
    • MILITARY
    • PARADES
    • PROMOTIONS
    • RED MASS
    • RESCUES
    • SISTER LORETTA
    • SPORTS
    • THEATRE DETAIL
  • STATISTICS
  • MEMORABILIA
  • CITY OF PATERSON
  • DEPARTMENT DOGS
  • TRAINING
  • VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT
    • 1821 - 1854 HISTORY
    • VOLUNTEER HISTORY
    • VOLUNTEER CHIEFS
    • VOLUNTEER PROFILES
    • VOLUNTEER COMPANIES
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
  • COMMUNICATIONS / FA
  • EXEMPT ASSOCIATION
  • EXEMPT HOME & RELICS
  • EMS DIVISION
    • EMS ROSTER
  • FMBA / PFA
  • AUXILIARY FIRE DEPARTMENT
  • ORAL HISTORY
  • PFH CONTRIBUTORS
  • CONTACT
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