36 CIRCLE AVENUE

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

Circa 1981 (79 ALF Pumper in bay)

January 12, 1913: Engine Company 12 relocates from the Water Street Firehouse to 36 Circle Avenue. Official opening was at 8:15 PM

Courtesy Dennis Morrison

January 10, 1913; First Size Robinson Combination Motor Hose and Pumping Engine ("Jumbo") pictured below

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

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

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.

1923 ALF on apron at Circle Avenue, now with pneumatic tires.

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

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

1935: Men of Engine Company 12 B Shift: Captain Peter J. Breen, James W. Sturrock, H Donaldson, Nicholas Attema, George A. Walls, Peter Ihrman

1936 Ball Book

Front view, apparatus was housed on the 3rd floor, as the firehouse was built into the cliff

Watson Lauder and Herb Dodds

1940 Paterson Evening News Golden Jubilee - Engine Company 12 Roster

Dayspring Collection

Circa mid 1940s: Left to right: Firemen Bill McKelvey, Ernie Wildermuth, Edward Westhoven and Howard Probert.

1946: Ernie Wildermuth (appointed 1927) next to fence at 36 Circle Avenue (retired 1953)

October 4, 1948: Engine Company 12 receives a new 1000 GPM Mack Model 95 pumper

Courtesy Dennis Morrison

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

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

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.

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

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)

Dayspring Collection

August 1953: FF Henry Borgman sliding pole and driving, Captain Thomas Schofield climbing into cab and FF on rear step (Staged photos)

1954:

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

Here is the official, very detailed report from Chief Hobart Strathearn

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.

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.

1968: Plywood riot roofs installed: cropped and full views below

Out of service photos

After being junked

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)

Quarter's Interior

June 22, 1971: 1971 Hahn 1250 GPM pumper (Serial HC523127121)

Fulton Street Fire April 30, 1978

Charlie Gorla, Bob Woodruff, Craig Christen at Circle Avenue

November 5, 1979: 1979 American LaFrance Model 1250 Century pumper painted yellow (Serial CE6621). Detroit in-line 6, Allison Transmission HT-740D

Serial CE6621

September 3, 1982: Engine Company 12 put out of service and renumbered as Engine Company 9

1979 ALF (CE6621)

Drilling along Passaic River (River & Bridge Streets)

1979 ALF #CE6221 (Natoli Collection)

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.

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.

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

Bill Tompkins Photo

95th Anniversary Parade scene on Union Ave by Hillcrest Firehouse

Prior to the Parade

June 13, 1987: 126 Broadway 2nd alarm Tour 1 -

36 Circle Avenue

​​Chronological Listing of Events and Apparatus at Circle Avenue

Quarter's Interior

Chronological Listing of Events and Apparatus at Circle Avenue