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The Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire District
traces its roots back to the early 1900's. The Osterville Village
Improvement Society voted to pay for half of the expense of 18 water fire
extinguishers purchased for the village. These extinguishers were
placed in homes throughout the village. In Sept 1911, the
OstervilleVillage Improvement Society and Walter Fuller of Osterville paid for
Osterville's First Fire Apparatus, a two tank chemical unit of 60 gallon
capacity originally housed in a garage at Wianno Avenue and Bates Street.
The fire apparatus was in service in May 1912. The apparatus was by some
accounts hand drawn or carried in an automobile, but was probably not a
commercially built apparatus. This apparatus was later housed in a barn
behind Foster Lewis's house on Main Street (where the Midway Gas Station
is). It was frozen and of no use on Jan 31, 1921 when Foster Lewis's house
burned and Cotuit's Model T had to respond.
On Dec 23, 1925
community members petitioned the Town of Barnstable to provide fire protection
for Centerville and Osterville. This was rejected by the Jan 16, 1926
Barnstable town meeting 0-77. On January 29, 1926 voters of the villages
of Centerville and Osterville established a Fire District. An April 1926
Fire District meeting approved $20,000 to purchase 2 lots on opposite ends of
the district and construction of 2 fire houses. Also the purchase of 2
fire engines for $17,800 and related equipment. An organization of firemen
was also approved. A Contract with Maxim Motors of Middleboro, Mass. was
signed for (2) 1926 Maxim Model RU-1 500 gpm triple combination pumpers with
hose bodies, water tanks, ladders, and additional equipment to be delivered
within 60 days. Ground was broken in June 1926 for a fire station in
Centerville and one in Osterville. By the fall, two red brick fire houses
and 2 red Maxim pumpers (Eng.1 and Eng.2) were in use protecting the two
villages. The first "official call" of the fire district was on July
20, 1926 for a brush fire on West Barnstable Road (out of the district) near
Lumbert Mill Road. The Centerville Firemen's Club formed and a meeting in
November 1926 recommended "that the department sound the siren each weekday
at noon.." The club met regularly each month. Bernard S. Ames
became the department's first Fire Chief and served until 1950.
In 1930, a Ford
Model A fire truck was built in Osterville with a 75 gpm pump, hose, and tools
was added as Engine 3. It was assigned to Station 2 in Centerville.
This became Mashpee's first fire truck in 1944. The Town of Barnstable
Forest Fire Department, formed in 1923, made the Osterville Fire Station its
headquarters and housed its 1922 Dodge patrol truck there. In 1937, the
first "Brush Breaker" was built in Osterville on a 1937 Ford
Chassis. It was equipped with an 800 gallon tank, pump, hose and iron bars
to enable it to battle forest fires in the area. It was housed in
Osterville. In 1938 the C-O Water District was established.
In 1950,
(2) Ford/Maxim 500 gpm pumpers replaced the original 1926 Maxims. In 1950,
a Chevy pickup truck was bought and donated by the Osterville Firemen's Club as
a Rescue Truck. A utility type body was added to this vehicle in
1953. This represents the beginning of a "rescue squad" in the
district. A 1952 Chevy Panel Truck became the department's first
ambulance. Centerville's first ambulance came in 1956 as a used 1939
LaSalle ambulance. A major addition to the Osterville station came in
1963, providing needed apace for larger apparatus.
The first fulltime firemen
were hired to work days in 1966. The department's first EMTs and
paramedics were trained in 1973-1975. In 1975, a new fire station was built in
Marstons Mills (Station 3 and new members were recruited to the call department
at that station. In 1975, fulltime firefighters unionized. The
department's first aerial ladder truck was purchased in 1976. The Hurst
Jaws of Life tool was purchased in 1977 providing a great advancement in vehicle
extrication. In 1980, fulltime personnel began working 7 days a week and
in 1981, 24 hour coverage was initiated. Call department personnel were
still heavily relied on.
On April 15, 1986, Massachusetts Governor Michael
Dukakis signed a bill renaming the district as the
Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills (COMM) Fire District. In 1990, the
department moved into its new Headquarters Fire Station on Route 28 in
Centerville. Dubbed the "Taj Mahal" by some, the red brick,
spacious station replaced the original Centerville Fire Station that could no
longer support the department's needs. In August 1999 the department began
24 hour coverage of the Marstons Mills Station 3 and the call department was
disbanded making COMM a fully paid department.
New Marstons Mills Fire Station 3 built and opened in
Aug 2003. Old 1975 Station torn down.
Osterville Fire Station closed July 10, 2008 to make room for new fire station.
Temporary quarters at Water Dept property 1238 Main St occupied 7/22/08.
Major Fires and Emergencies
1914 - Nov 30 - The two year old Osterville Public School on West Bay Road was
destroyed in a spectacular blaze that threatened to destroy many buildings
within the village with flying brands and strong winds. Every available man
turned out to extinguish fires started by flaying embers as soon as they
began. This was before the fire department was organized.
1921 - Jan 31 - Fire destroyed Foster Lewis's house on Main Street. The
Osterville fire apparatus unable to respond, frozen in a barn just behind it.
1935 - Oct 17 - The historic West Bay Inn, a large 3 story wooden hotel was
destroyed by a huge fire. Pumpers supplied water for 11 1/2 hours.
Hyannis assited with 2 pumpers.
1937 - May 5 - The new Brush Breaker, barely in service and not yet painted was
severely damaged in a forest fire on Ridgewood Ave., in Hyannis. 2000 acres were
damaged.
1954 - Feb 1 - The center of Osterville was spared by the efforts of
firefighters who contained a major fire at Main St and Wianno Ave. that
destroyed a large 2 story store. 15 hoselines operated for over 5 hours to
extinguish the fire.
1968 - Jan 19 - The Oyster Harbors Club, a huge 3 story hotel was being torn
down when it caught fire. A spectacular fire destroyed the remaining
structure in one of the largest fires in the district.
1972 - June 6 - TV game show host Gene Rayburn lost his 3 story home on Seaview
Ave, Osterville to fire at 2058 hrs. Mutual aid responded to the 2 alarm
fire.
1981 - Feb 9 - The historic Osterville Community Center building on Main Street,
formerly the Dry Swamp Academy school, was destroyed in a stubborn 2 alarm fire.
1986 - July 13 - A 3 alarm fire struck the Centerville Shopping Center on
Route 28.
1986 - Nov 14 - A 3 alarm fire destroyed a large 2 story home on Long Beach Road
in Centerville.
Incident History
Year
Fire
EMS Total
1950
42
1960
45
141
183
1970
95
326
421
1975
302
722 1,024
1980
660
1,009 1,669
1985
672
1,229 1,901
1990
692
1,440 2,132
1992
702
1,472 2,174
1993
698
1,649 2,347
1994
836
1,773 2,609
1995
935 1,856 2,791
1996
856
1,813 2,669
1997
852
1,872 2,722
1998
861
2,154 3,015
1999
943
2,405 3,348
2000
3,275
2001
954
2,307 3,261
2002
1,004
2,408 3,412
2003
3,518
2004
3,738
2005
3,797
2006 1,027
2,760 3,787
2007
3,918
2008
3,830
1975 Apparatus Roster
Osterville Station 1
Engine 5....... 315.... 1975 Mack CF 1250 gpm / 1000 gallon Pumper
Engine 4........309.....1963 International / Maxim 750 gpm / 500 Gallon
Pumper
Truck 16.......216.....1967 Maxim 250 gpm / 1000 Gallon Brush Breaker (TOB)
Squad 2........302.....1960 International Rescue Squad Truck
Rescue 3.......303.....1966 Chevy Challenger Ambulance
Rescue 10.....300.....1966 Chevy Challenger Ambulance
Patrol............210.....1975 International 140 gallon Patrol Truck (TOB)
C-2...............301.....1973 Ford LTD Fire Chief Car
Boat 1...........301A..13 foot Boston Whaler
Centerville Station 2
Engine 2....... 306.... 1968 International / Maxim 1000 gpm / 500 gallon Pumper
Engine 3....... 305.....1956 Ford / Bean high pressure 500 gallon pumper
Truck 12.......212.....1962 International / Maxim 500 gallon Brush Breaker (TOB)
Squad 8........308.....1950 Chevy Squad Lighting Truck
Rescue 4.......304.....1974 Dodge Tradesman Van Ambulance
Boat 2...........301B..13 foot Boston Whaler
Marstons Mills Station 3
Engine 1....... 307.... 1969 International / Maxim 1000 gpm / 500 gallon Pumper
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