Fire & Rescue Service History
 According
to the historical record, as described by author Edith
McDermott, the original Pitt Meadows Fire & Rescue Service came into existence
immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941. It
originally operated under the Air Raid Protection system and the
first Fire Chief was Hans Hoffmann. The other original members
were Henry Doerksen, Henry Jensen, Douglas McDermott, Roy Lehman,
Mac Wickson, Gordon Park, Ernie Lang, Oscar Austring, Slim Stewart
and Frank Caws.
The former firehall was demolished in 2002 as part of continued
development of the community. The old hall was located next to the
Lions Den on Harris Road and served as the base of operations for
many years. Though very cramped and ill-equipped for firefighting
forces there are a great many memories cherished by anyone who was
a part of its history in the department.
 The
first fire truck for Pitt Meadows was built by the members
themselves. It was a 1929 Model A touring car which was torn down,
rebuilt and outfitted for firefighting duties. This truck still
exists today and is pictured here in its most common role now,
that of the Clown Wagon for the Pitt Meadows Day Parade. The
department has undergone many changes over the years including
the move to a career Chief, two career Assistant Chief's and one
volunteer Assistant Chief. The number of volunteers has
also increased, as have the number of responses the department
makes each year in response for calls for assistance by the
citizens and visitors of Pitt Meadows. Since its creation in
1941, the Pitt Meadows Fire & Rescue Service has been a fiercely proud
group who are committed to providing a “professional” fire service
to the citizens of the City of Pitt Meadows via dedicated and
well-trained volunteer firefighters. This tradition has gained
the department many accolades over the years as a leading edge
organization committed to the provision of full-service fire
protection through the use of a volunteer force alone. The City
of Pitt Meadows is justifiably proud of the work performed by
these unselfish men and women for almost 70 years.
Maybe you could become part of this proud tradition in the
future!
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