Fire Department History.

Dating back to 1820 when Old Town separated from Orono, firefighting was performed by members of the community, but in an unorganized fashion. Old Town was split into a number of neighborhoods during its inception, and with that this original form began to lay the foundation of our department today. The first hose company within town limits was located in Stillwater, just over the bridge from Old Town. This was Excelsior Fire Company, organized in June of 1856. After a devastating Patriots Day fire in 1865, it was decided to form an organized fire department within the town of Old Town. Dirigo Fire Company No.1 was organized April 20, 1868. Between 1856 and 1881, there were numerous fire companies within the town. Dirigo, Excelsior (bell from this station photographed below and displayed outside the current station), Torrent, Jameson in 1881, Little Giants in Old Town and Great Works, as well as a "Hook & Ladder" company. In 1890, it was voted to disband all fire companies and transition to hose companies which then placed all fire companies under one department, while maintaining their individual company titles until being phased out as time progressed and stations closed. The current station opened July 2, 1958.  

Full-time firefighters or “permanent men” were voted upon to begin coverage the night of Tuesday, November 13th, 1916. A minimum of four permanent men continued coverage with the assistance of volunteers until 1953 when the department moved toward more full-time coverage. The 1953 expansion consisted of six career firefighters, two career Assistant Chiefs, and a full-time Fire Chief. Fire Chief Chauncy Miller also assisted in the creation of the Indian Island Fire Department and providing first aid to the community this same year. Career staffing continued to increase consistently throughout the years to the 25-career roster we have today. Although volunteer and junior members were crucial to the department’s success since its inception, these positions ceased after the early 2000’s.  

Initially, the department operated with man drawn fire tubs then transitioned to horse drawn. The city at first utilized a pair of horses named Fred and Ted that worked for the street department to haul a steam pumper purchased in 1885. The city would then purchase the first regular fire horse in 1903, named Larry in honor of Larry Gibbons, the first Fire Chief. By 1936 all horse drawn apparatus gave way to motorized units. The department began with the 1917 Garford that we currently have in our museum outside the station (photographed in Apparatus). In 1923 an American-LaFrance pumper was purchased and an American-LaFrance ladder in 1936, rounding out the departments first fleet of motorized apparatus.