Inside the East Greenwich Veteran Fireman’s Association

A victorious team parades down Main Street. Photo courtesy of the East Greenwich Veteran Fireman’s Association

Long before professional fire departments, volunteer fire companies ruled the emergency scene. More than just an emergency response service, these companies offered fellowship and civic opportunities for members, who were recruited from diverse industries to participate in the storied firefighting tradition. In East Greenwich, members gathered annually for a carnival and muster where they competed in traditional firefighting skills using antique equipment like this 1854 hand engine. Bob Farrell, a retired television news photographer and former volunteer with the East Greenwich Fire District, recalls how companies would travel from throughout the region to see who could produce the furthest water stream. “You had fifteen minutes to get into position and hook up to the trough,” he says. “They had a handkerchief, and when they dropped it, you pumped like hell.” Afterward, victorious teams paraded the winning engine down Main Street. Today, as in many places around the region, firefighting in East Greenwich is done by a professional department. The East Greenwich Veteran Fireman’s Association maintains a museum and hall on Queen Street where former volunteers preserve the history of the local companies. In addition to the hand engine and an antique hose wagon, the collection includes five restored trucks that range in origin from 1927 to the 1960s that all served the town at some point in their history. “When you think about the evolution of firefighting from the 1800s to today, this is pretty much an example of everything that they used,” Farrell says. The museum hosts informal visiting hours on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon and by
appointment. 80 Queen St., East Greenwich, 884-9817

In an undated photograph, a team competes using the 1854 hand engine. The engine was built for the Peabody, Massachusetts, fire department and later used in Danvers, Massachusetts, Derry, New Hampshire, and Central Falls before the East Greenwich Veteran Fireman’s Association purchased it in 1913 for muster competitions. Photo courtesy of the East Greenwich Veteran Fireman’s Association