Cloverdale celebrates fire station’s 130th anniversary

All past Cloverdale Fire members will be recognized Saturday and presented with a Cloverdale Fire Challenge Coin. Citizens are invited to enjoy fire apparatus tours, assorted beverages, dancing and live music by Locked-N-Loaded from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Sirens will kick off the department's 130th anniversary celebration in the downtown plaza.

It was May 16, 1886, when the first fire hose cart arrived from San Francisco. Well-built and nicely painted, it had high wheels and the name “Alert No. 1” emblazoned on its side.

Volunteer firefighters held dances and bazaars to raise $150 for a bell to sound the alarm in the event of a fire. The bell also was rung at 8 p.m. each evening to announce curfew for those 16 and under. It can be seen today mounted in front of the firehouse at 451 S. Cloverdale Blvd.

Cloverdale's first major fire on Friday, June 13, 1890, consumed an entire block in about 40 minutes, destroying the saddle shop where it started, a hotel and two homes. Damage was estimated at $15,000.

The department's oldest engine, an American LaFrance purchased in 1929, fought many fires until it was taken out of service in 1968. Purchased from the City at that time for the sum of one dollar, it is now used occasionally for parades, Firemen's Muster competitions and giving children rides with Santa.

In 1938, the department moved from the original firehouse on Commercial Street to the newly constructed firehouse on West Street, now N. Cloverdale Blvd., where City Hall is currently located. They relocated again in 1972 to a new building on Broad Street, remaining there for the next 38 years.

When the County's share of financial support dried up in the 1990s and the level of service was jeopardized, Cloverdale voters approved a ballot measure to form the Cloverdale Fire Protection District.

Voters later approved another measure, making the district independent from the city with a separate funding source, while still continuing to receive a portion of property tax to fund operations.

The new $6 million firehouse, completed in 2010, was paid for out of redevelopment funds. According to former Fire Chief Brian Elliott, the state-of-the-art training and emergency disaster operations center will serve the community and surrounding areas for the next 50 years and beyond.

The district encompasses approximately 76 square miles, including the City of Cloverdale. Fire Chief Jason Jenkins leads the current cadre of volunteers and paid staff.