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The History
of the Pennington Fire Company |
Pennington's 75th year
was marked by tragedy, when, on August 4, driver Merlin Golden
suffered a fatal heart attack while at the wheel. The badly-damaged
firetruck, which went up a curb and struck a tree, was replaced, and
the Fire Company members rededicated themselves to their task in
Golden's memory. The year 1967 proved to be a dramatic one, as
Pennington was involved in two major fires. On January 3, the office
and warehouse of Cointreau Limited-now site of the Straube
Center-were destroyed by a blaze that began at 3:00 p.m. Nine area
companies lent mutual aid to Pennington. Over 170,000 gallons of
water were pumped before the fire was brought under control at 6:30
p.m. Pennington remained on the scene for seven more hours to ensure
that the flames didn't rekindle.
During the early evening of March 18, 1967, the Company responded to
a brush fire. The first units arriving at the scene discovered the
Howe garden storage complex completely involved. Because of the
proximity of residential properties, mutual aid was requested to
protect the surrounding dwellings. Although several area houses were
scorched, prompt assistance from sister companies restricted
principal damage to the Howe property.
As 1967 tested the Fire Company's abilities, the following year
showed the promise of its future. On March 18, the new firehouse on
Broemel Place was dedicated, along with a 1,000 gallon/minute
American LaFrance diesel pumper. For the first time in the Company's
history, it had more engine bays than engines. Also in 1968, a new
supply van was put in service.
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