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Broadview Fire Department . . . 1914 to 1964

The Broadview Fire Department was organized on a volunteer basis in 1948. Village President Merritt E. Braga was very instrumental in its organization.

Prior to 1948 the Village of Broadview received fire protection from the Maywood Fire Department on a contractual basis. After the Broadview Volunteer Fire Department became organized in 1945, it operated in conjunction with the Maywood Fire Department. The Village purchased a 1924 pumper from Oak Park and this was used for the purpose of training the volunteers.

A retired Oak Park fireman by the name of Fred Peters was hired on a fee basis to give instructions to the newly formed department. Merritt Braga was Assistant Chief, Herbert Prosser was Captain and James G. Cote, was Lieutenant and Secretary.

James G. Cote was appointed Fire Chief in 1951 and assumed command of the Department and in 1953. Broadview's first new 1000 gallons-per-minute pumper was purchased and placed in service. By this time the Department had become a well trained and coordinated group.  On January 15, 1956, Broadview hired its first full-time firefighters.

With the village population increasing and the influx of commerce and industry to the Village, it became apparent to the President and Board of Trustees that the Village must have a full time force which would be augmented by the now Paid-On-Call group in order to maintain the same classification, thereby making it possible to sever its contract with Maywood, who by this time found it impractical to offer their services regardless of the contract price because it would endanger their classification.

The Rating Bureau made a classification survey of Broadview and when their report was completed, we found the Village in Class Six (6), the same as when Maywood had protected us. However, a list of recommendations accompanied the report and indicated we needed a ladder truck, paid men, etc. to attain an improved classification.

Therefore, an 85 foot aerial ladder with a 1,000 gallons-per-minute pump on it was purchased in 1955 and placed in service along with the additional manpower, etc. and the Village once again had a reclassification surveywhich improved the rating to Class Five (5). This improved rate in most cases reduced the fire insurance premium for commercial and industrial properties.

In 1961 a new service was added in the Village by the purchase of a Rescue-Squad vehicle which is operated by the Fire Department. This vehicle, used for emergency first aid of the critically ill and injured, relieved the pumper of this task and kept it ready for fire fighting, the purpose for which it was designed.

Once again it became necessary to upgrade the Department due to the intensified influx of industry and multiple family dwellings to our community. Therefore, another 1,000 gallons-per-minute pumper was purchased and placed in service in 1963.

A reclassification survey was once again made by the Rating Bureau and the Village of Broadview received an improved rating to Class Four (4). Broadview became the only Village under 10,000 population in the State of Illinois to hold a Class Four rate. There are only three Class Four cities other than Broadview in Cook County and in the State as a whole there are only twelve including Broadview. This rating of course means additional fire insurance premium savings for the commercial and industrial properties and for certain residential coverage.

By 1964 the Department consisted of 13 full time men, including Chief James G. Coté, and 30 Paid-On-Call firemen. The Department is broken down into three (3) Platoons of regulars and four (4) Companies of Paid-On-Call men.

In 1959, 1960, and 1962 the Broadview Fire Department was awarded First Place Plaques for the best Fire Prevention Activities, for the year by the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry and in 1961, it won the Grand Award.

In 1967 the fire department moved into its new firehouse facility on 25th Avenue and 14th Street.

Since its inception, the Department has had the Broadview Firemen's Association, which is made up of firemen of the Village, behind it. This organization is the social and also the fund raising organization which has meant so much towards the Department's improvement, in that they purchased many of the items needed to afford the fire protection necessary to attain a Class Four rating.

Also the same is true of the Women's Auxiliary of the Broadview Firemen's Association, who are the wives (red wagon widows) of the firemen and they also raised funds to help support better fire protection for the Village.

The Fire Department has a Bureau of Fire Prevention whose sole purpose is to prevent the loss of life and property from the ravages of fire. Two Fire Inspectors, under the direction of the Chief, make inspections of all schools, churches, places of public assembly, commercial and industrial buildings, and all multiple family dwellings in the Village of Broadview. Along with the job of inspecting, these Fire Inspectors give lectures, demonstrations, etc. on fire prevention.

The Department also has a Training Division which is instrumental in maintaining the fire fighting Companies at all times ready and capable to handle the changing conditions found on today's fire grounds. Schooling by the Training Officer is supplemented by sending certain men to schools, throughout the United States for specialized training required by the use of new chemicals, processes, and methods of operation of today's world.

With the activities of the Fire Prevention Bureau and the Training Division, the Fire Department feels it is offering the people of Broadview the finest protection for the least amount of cost through its modern methods, constant training, and schooling and its reduced insurance classifications received to date.

 

WOMEN'S AUXILIARY FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Women's Auxiliary of the Broadview Firemen's Association was organized April 23, 1953.

Charter Members were:

Membership in the Auxiliary is limited to wives of members of the Broadview Firemen's Association, and from the seven members who started the organization we now have an active membership of 25, two Honorary members, one member on leave of absence, one Gold Star Member, and eight former members.

The primary purpose of the Auxiliary is to aid the fire department financially, publicly, and morally, and to promote community welfare, and this we have tried to do. For example in 1964 the Auxiliary sponsored the Red Cross Drive among the residents of Broadview. Mrs. Michael Sansonc, Mrs. J. Cote, and Mrs. Donald Rapk'y were co-chairwomen of the drive.

In 1964 the officers were:


Sources used in the compilation of this entry include but are not limited to:

Last Modified:  11/15/2002