History
In the early days, fire was an ever-present danger both in the forested mountains around Nelson and also in town, where wood was the only building material for the first seven years after Nelson was founded. In 1891 the Deluge Hook and Ladder Company was formed with members E.C. Arthur, president, J.H. Matheson, vice-president, T.D. Gillis, secretary, J.F. Hume, treasurer, and Charles Van Ness, Thomas Madden, and E.E. Phair on the finance committee.
The company's 16 active members received and annual stipend of $18, while non-active members were paid $1 annually, plus an additional 50 cents per month. This practical financial arrangement was made after the burning of the International Hotel, when citizens had to put up $384 to get the fire equipment "out of hock." Later that same year, Nelson ladies raised $89 to purchase a 300-pound bell for the fire hall. This bell has recently been refurbished by members of the Nelson IODE and is on display at the fire station.
Nelson's first fire hall was built in 1894 on the southeast corner of Josephine and Victoria streets, the present location of the No. 2 electrical substation. It served the community for 19 years, a relatively short time for fire hall occupancies. The main reason for moving the hall was the rapid growth of residential and commercial buildings in the Uphill area. The new fire hall needed to be located in the new growth area and still serve the downtown core with adequate response times.
On August 26, 1912, city council approved tenders for the construction of the new fire hall and awarded the contract to John Burns and Son in the amount of $17,973. Construction proceeded immediately and was completed in June 1913, when the fire department took occupancy.
The new fire hall was designed to house four horses and two fire wagons. In 1918 the city purchased its first motorized fire apparatus, a 1918 American La France pumper truck. Over the next decade, the horses worked alongside a growing fleet of motorized apparatus. The 1918 La France was eventually replaced by a 1924 La France and then a 1938 Ford pumper. In 2009, the 1938 Ford was salvaged from a field, some 50 kilometres away, and will undergo extensive repairs before it can join the two 1944 Bickle-Seagrave fire trucks presently on display in the fire hall's museum.
(The 1944 Bickles and the 1938 Ford)
Today the Nelson fire department has four state of the art pieces of fire apparatus that respond to more than 1,000 calls annually. The department's responsibilities includes such tasks as medical first response, Jaws of Life vehicle extraction, high-angle rope rescue, assisting adjacent fire departments, confined space rescue, and hazardous goods incidents. The department serves the City of Nelson and a large contracted area for the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
Under the direction of Fire Chief Simon Grypma, the department consists of an assistant chief, three captains, six firefighters, and a secretary-dispatcher, as well as twenty-one auxiliary firefighters.
The City of Nelson has the distinction of operating from the oldest fire station in the province of British Columbia. Nelson Fire and Rescue members extend a warm welcome and invite you to come by for a visit.
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