A cornerstone of Waubeka

Not just a community service — but a community cornerstone — the Waubeka Fire Department is celebrating its 125th anniversary with Bloody Marys, brats and a day of events that include a cornhole tournament and a parade on Saturday, Aug. 17.

“The department is tied a lot to Waubeka’s history,” volunteer  firefighter Fred Ringle said about the department that was founded in 1899 as The Fire Engine Co. of Fredonia.

The department’s first fire apparatus, a hand-drawn and operated pump wagon, was housed at the old Cigrand Blacksmith shop. The original fire alarm was an old circular saw struck by a hammer.

In 1904, the fire department built its first station at 401 Center St., where it stands today, for a total cost of $1,417. That same year, a fire bell that is now displayed at the monument outside the new fire station was donated to the department.

A major upgrade to the department’s fire-fighting power came with the purchase of a horse drawn pumper in 1912, which set the department back $1,750. It has since been restored and will be displayed at the anniversary celebration, Fire Chief Jason Caswell said.

In 1940, the department purchased Singer Hall and renamed it Waubeka Firemen’s Hall, as it’s still known.

“For the longest time, the fire hall was the community center of the town,” Ringle said. “Weddings, everything, were held in that building.”

Ringle said when he joined the department in 1980, he was tasked with managing the Friday night fish fries that drew hundreds of people each week.

“Every Friday night the hall was open. It was run by all volunteer help,” he said, noting that from when the department started hosting the fries in 1980 to when it stopped in 2001, it raised between $2 million to $4 million.

During the Great Ice Storm of 1976, which plummeted the region into freezing temperatures and caused wide-scale power outages, Firemen’s Hall was open 24/7, providing a warm space and hot meals while firefighters and volunteers did welfare check-ups, pumped out basements and hauled water to farms for cows.

The department’s current station was constructed in 1963 with space for four apparatuses. Designed by local artisan and craftsman Victor Voeks, it was built for $18,000.

In 1982, a $150,000 expansion added space for two additional apparatuses and expanded the meeting and training rooms,  as well as adding town board offices.

In 2018, the department refurbished the old station, making repairs to the tower and replacing the roof. Caswell said while the building is currently used for storage, the department hopes to eventually use it as a small museum.

The department continues to be equipped for the modern day, Caswell said, with the recent $674,880 purchase of a 2020 Pierce Enforcer pumper-tanker that can carry 2,850 gallons of water and pump 1,500 gallons a minute.

“We went to the drawing board, building the truck from the bottom up,” Caswell said, adding it was specially designed for the station’s tight doors.

As the department hits its 125th year, much has changed, Ringle said, most of all the ballooning of state regulations and safety standards.

“When I started, not everyone was assigned a fire suit, they had limited number,” he said. “Everybody grabbed what was there and if there wasn’t any left, then you were fighting a fire in your street clothes.”

Forty years ago, volunteers were expected to complete training courses but there were no state  requirements, Ringle said. Now, becoming a firefighter requires at least 60 hours of classes.

The demands placed on volunteers have increased, Ringle said.

“Back in 1980, if we had 80 or a 100 calls a year that was busy. But now, we are pushing 175 to 200 calls a year,” he said.

A good number of those calls are for emergency medical services, Ringle said, “and that’s a whole another thing.”

Currently, Caswell said, the department has 39 members with 18 active firefighters and 15 EMTs, with some members both.

“For us it’s a pretty good place to be,” he said. “But there’s always a hope to get more.”

A few years ago, there were only 10 firefighters.

“It’s been a push. It’s continual recruitment. Anytime we are out doing a fundraiser, we’re doing recruitment there,” Caswell said.

He said he is particularly proud the department was able to upgrade its service in 2004 from being essentially a “backup” ambulance to the advanced level. Six of the departments volunteers are certified advanced EMTs.

The idea of the department as an organization in which most of the town leaders, businessmen and residents take part has diminished, Ringle said.

“Back in 1980, we had supermarkets in town, we had industry in town, we had people who were working in the area. Those resources don’t exist anymore. It’s hard to find people who are available during the day,” he said. “Life has gotten busier.”

The department is part of the Tri-County Cadet program, which partners the department with high-schoolers who want to gain experience in firefighting, Caswell said. The cadets take part in training sessions and serve in a limited way during calls.

“It’s a stepping stone. They see how the fire service is from a volunteer standpoint, and sometimes that progresses, and they make a career of it,” Caswell said. “We are planting a seed, and when they settle down, wherever that is, they can serve their community.”

Both Caswell and Ringle said the greatest part of being a firefighter is being a part of a community while giving back to the larger community.

“It’s a hands-on, immediate satisfaction thing,” Caswell said.

Anniversary celebration schedule

The celebration will open with a Bloody Mary bar from 10 a.m. until supplies run out at the Fire Hall on River Street.

The parade, which will have the same route as Flag Day, will kick off at 11:30 a.m. from the National Flag Day Americanism Center and run through downtown Waubeka.

Floats are still being accepted, Caswell said. Those interested can call Ringle at (262) 339-8762 to reserve a spot or bring their float to the staging area at 10:30 a.m. at the Center.

A program will follow the parade.

There will be a cornhole tournament at  1 p.m. with more than $1,000 in prizes.

Teams are still being accepted for the competition, which has a $40 entry fee. To register, visit the department website or sign up at the event.

The band Tanglefoot will play from 2 to 6 p.m. and Whiskey Throttle will play from 7 to 11 p.m.

There will be a bounce house and other activities for children throughout the day, along with a raffle. 

Food and drinks will be available, including brats based on a recipe from the old Waubeka meat market, Ringle said.

The fire department is still looking for volunteers, Caswell said. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/WaubekaFire.

Volunteers will be provided with drink and food vouchers.

Parking for the celebration will be available at the Americanism Center on Valley View Drive with shuttle service all day.

Handicap-accessible parking will be available at the Fire Hall, and motorcycle parking will be available on Park Ave.

For more information or to register for the cornhole tournament, visit www.waubekafiredept.com.