Late 1800‘s
Mill fire brigades provided protection to the Town utilizing several hose carts located in
the village. Locations included Maple St. Joy St. Hampshire St. at Windsor St. Another hose cart was located on Weston St. in Wilbraham.
1895
The Springfield Water Department installed four hydrants on North Street, marking the town’s first dedicated fire protection infrastructure.
1907
The Ludlow Manufacturing Company hired Edward V. Stone to be Chief of their brigade
which continued to function as the Town’s fire department. Chief Stone came to Town
having been a member of the Boston Fire Department.
1907
Twenty-one Gamewell Fire Alarm boxes are installed throughout the Mills and Town.
1910
Hose Company #8 is established in the Little Canada section at the corner of present day West Ave and Mero St. Louis Demers is appointed the Chief. This was also home to the Veteran Fireman’s Association Drum Corps.
1910
One month after the establishment of the Little Canada Station selectman appoint Edward V. Stone the Town Fire Chief and James Flynn the Assistant Chief. Chief Stone continued chief of the LMC fire brigade and had responsibility for all fire protection except Little Canada.
1913
Both departments were now competing for funding from the Town. The annual Town meeting voted to eliminated Hose Company #8 with Chief Stone now in charge of all firefighting activities. A major fire in the Business Block is contained on the Sewall St. side of the building.
1914
The first motorized fire truck, a Knox chemical truck is purchased by LMC for the Town and is housed at the newly built firehouse located behind the East St. Business Block. Chief Stone had his residence next door to the station on Sewall St. Many of fireman at the time lived in the Business Block. The Knox was in service for 16 years until 1930.
1918
The Ludlow Manufacturing Company turns all its equipment over to the Town. All funding for fire services is now to be provided by the Town.
1923
A second fire engine is purchased. The truck is a Packard with a 500 gallon a minute pump with 100 gallons of water. It remained in service for 11 years until 1934.
1924
Town Meeting adopted the provisions of Chapter 48 which regulated the formation of a fire department. Fire personnel now stood at Chief Stone and 15 Call men.
1928
A Maxim Cities Service ladder truck is purchased. It had a full complement of ladders, booster pump and a 100-gallon tank. It remained in service for 30 years until 1958
1930
An engine built by Maxim was purchased with a 1000 gallon per minute pump and a 100- gallon water tank. It remained in service for 19 years until 1949.
1930
A major fire at the Spaulding factory in Chicopee Falls was extinguished with LFD assistance. The fire involved naphtha tanks and a newly obtained foam generator, by Chief Stone, was utilized to quell the blaze
1930
The Social Club holds the first Fireman’s Ball at Stevens Memorial Building.
1934
A Buffalo Fire Apparatus engine is purchased. It had a 600 gallon a minute pump with a 100 gallon water tank. It remained in service for 41 years until 1975.
1935
A Dodge Brothers brush truck is purchased, equipped with a 90 gallon a minute pump
and a 100-gallon water tank. It remained in service for 50 years until 1985.
1947
Chief Stone retires after 40 years of service. Rene Dubois is appointed Fire Chief.
1949
The 28-fire alarm box system, on one circuit, is expanded to 60 boxes and are now divided among 4 circuits. Should one circuit fail, the rest of the system is unaffected. The 9 Police call boxes are maintained by the Fire Dept.
1949
An engine built by Oren-Roanoke is purchased. It has a 1000 a minute pump with a 500 gallon water tank. It remained in service for 37 years until 1986.
1952
Legislation places the position of Fire Chief under Civil Service Law.
1952
Town Meeting approves the purchase of two-way radios. Base stations for both Fire and Police. 3 mobile units for Fire and 2 for the Police.
1955
The first full-time fireman, Tom Sunter is hired in addition to Chief Rene Dubois
1956
A second full time fireman, Homer R. Dubois, was hired. In addition, the Department has 16 Call men and 15 auxiliary firemen.
1958
A 75’ Maxim aerial ladder is purchased. It had a 1000psi high pressure pump and 200-gallon
water tank. It was also equipped with an Atlas life net. The truck was in service for 28 years. In 1986 the truck was refurbished. The aerial was removed and placed on a new cab and chassis by Maxim.
1962
Chief Rene Dubois retires after 15 years as Chief. Captain Homer Dubois is appointed Chief.
1963
Additional full-time personnel are hired to provide coverage from 0700-0100 hours.
1966
Town Meeting approves construction of a new Fire/Police Station at Center and Chapin St.
1967
A new engine, built by Maxim Motors, is purchased. It was a 1000 gpm pump with a 500- gallon water tank. It is the Departments first enclosed cab. It remained in service for 32 years
until 1999. It was designated as Engine 2.
1967
The new station is placed into service with 24-hour coverage. The Department is now
taffed with a Chief, 4 Captains and 21 Fire Fighters. In addition, there are 13 Call men and 5 Auxiliary members.
1967
In addition to the new station, over 70 Gamewell Fire Alarm Street boxes are in service.
1968
A Dodge/Farrar Power Wagon brush truck is purchased. It had a 500 gallon a minute pump and a 300-gallon water tank. It was in service for 30 years until 1998. It was designated Forestry 1
1968
The rank and file are unionized. They join the International Association of Fire fighters and become Local 1840. David Lavigne is the first Union President.
1969
Town Meeting places the Department under Civil Service Law.
1973
A new engine, built by Maxim Motors, is purchased. It was a 1000 gpm pump with a 500 gallon water tank. It was in service for 20 years until 1993. It was designated as Engine 3.
1973
A 12 million liquified natural gas storage facility was constructed on Ravenwood Drive. As part of the sitting agreement Baystate Gas provided the Town with 2700lb, mounted on a Ford F 500 chassis, nitrogen fired extinguisher. The agent is Purple K, potassium bicarbonate. The truck is designated as Chemical 1.
1973
Up until this point ambulance service was provided by the Police. A Cadillac ambulance was obtained, on loan, from Gold Cross/Eastern Ambulance Service of Springfield. The ambulance was housed in the fire station and now staffed by a Fire Fighter and a Police
officer.
1974
A new Chevrolet Suburban ambulance was purchased and placed into service and the loaner
ambulance was returned.
1976
Through a fund-raising effort a Hurst Power Tool “Jaws of Life” was obtained and placed into service. Prior to this extrication from vehicles was done with winches and hand tools.
1977
Due to a new headroom requirement for ambulances by the State Office of Emergency Services, the 1974 Suburban was replaced with a 1977 Dodge Tradesman.
1977
The State OEMS now requires personnel to be certified as Emergency Medical Technicians to operate ambulances. Training classes were held at the station for Fire and Police personnel to become Basic Level EMT’s.
1982
An ambulance built by Wheel Coach was purchased. This is the first modular ambulance in the Department.
1983
Town Meeting, at the request of Chief Dubois, approves the purchase of a paging system. Each member now has their own pager in the event of an emergency. Previously the dispatcher had to call back each member by phone. This greatly improved off-duty responses.
1986
A new engine, built by Maxim Motors, is purchased. It has a 1500-gram pump with 750 gallon water tank. It was in service for 13 years until 1999 and designated as Engine 1.
1987
A fifth Captains position, Fire Prevention Officer, is approved by Town Meeting.
1986
The 1958 ladder truck was refurbished by Maxim Motors. The existing body and 75’ aerial were placed upon a new cab and chassis. It was in service for 16 years until 2002. It was designated as Ladder 1.
1988
Chief Homer Dubois retires after 25 years as Chief. Captain Anthony Jarvis is appointed Chief.
1988
A new Ford F-250 brush truck is purchased. It has a 500-gpm pump with a 300-gallon water
tank. It was in service for 29 years until 2017. Designation was Forestry 3.
1989
A new engine, a Pierce Arrow, is purchased. It has a 1500 gpm pump with 750 gallons. and a 50-gallon tank of AFFF/ATC foam concentrate. It is still in service as of 2025 and is designated as Engine 2.
1990
The Enhanced 911 system is implemented greatly improving emergency responses.
1992
The Hampden County Jail is relocated to Ludlow from Springfield. The Town is awarded a 10 million-dollar siting fee. 3.5 million is used to renovate the Public Safety Complex with an additional vehicle bay added.
1992
A new engine, a Pierce Arrow, is purchased. It has a 1500 gpm pump with a 1500-gallon water tank. It was in service for 28 years until 2020. Designation was Engine 3.
1995
Ludlow Hospital closes. This places an immediate strain on Emergency Medical Services’
Due to the ambulance now having to transport out of Town a second ambulance is obtained
and placed in service.
1996
After lengthy negotiations the move is made to provide Advance Level Medical Services. Mark Babineau, Jeffery Lavoie, Scott Kozak and Joseph Crowley are the first to become certified at the Intermediate Level.
1997
The Department advances to the Paramedic Level of Service. Theresa Johnson and Kent Doyle are the first Fire Fighter/Paramedics hired.
1999
Chief Anthony Jarvis retires after 11 years as Chief. Captain Charles Chaconas is appointed Chief.
1999
The 1973 dry chemical unit refurbished with a new International cab and chassis.
1999
A new Ford brush truck is purchased. It has a 300-gpm pump with a 350-water tank. Still in service as Forestry 1.
2001
A new engine, American LaFrance/Freightliner, is purchased. It has a 1500 gpm pump with a 750-gallon water tank and a 50-gallon AFFF/ATC foam concentrate tank. It was service for 14 years until 2015. Its designation was Engine 1.
2002
A new ladder truck, a 2002 Pierce Dash is purchased. It is 2000 gpm pump with a 300-gallon water tank and a 100’ aerial platform. Still in service with a designation of Tower 1.
2008
The first tanker purchased is a Mack/Pierce. It has a 1500 gpm pump with a 3000-gallon water tank. It is designated as Tanker 1.
2009
Chief Charles Chaconas retires after 10 years as Chief. Captain Mark Babineau is appointed Chief.
2011
The Ludlow Fire Department received a steel artifact from the World Trade Center. That steel is the centerpiece of the Ludlow 911 Memorial Monument that sits in front of the Ludlow Public Safety Complex. Construction of this was performed at no cost to the town due to generous monetary donations and the hard work performed by volunteers that were compromised of various contractors of Ludlow, the Ludlow DPW, citizens of Ludlow, and Ludlow firefighters.
2011
The fire alarm system is devastated by a late October snowstorm. The system is deemed no longer necessary and removed altogether.
2012
Due to increased call volume, a third ambulance is placed into service.
2014
The position of Deputy Chief is approved. There had previously been an Assistant Chief
and Deputy Chief positions, as Call men, under Chief Stone but none as full time.
2015
A new engine, Pierce Impel is purchased. It has a 1500 pump with a 750-gallon water tank. It is designated as Engine 1.
2017
A new brush truck, Ford F-450/Department built, is purchased. It has a 125-gpm pump and a 300-gallon water tank. It is designated as Forestry 2. 2014
2017
Chief Mark Babineau retires after 9 years as Chief. Capt. Ryan Pease is appointed Chief.
2019
Creation of Central Dispatch. This formed a single Public Safety Dispatch for the Town of
Ludlow.
2020
A new engine, Pierce Enforcer, is purchased. It has a 1500 gpm pump with a 1000-gallon
water tank and a 40-gallon Class A CAF system. It is designated as Engine 3.
2021
Town Meeting approves the two additional full-time firefighter/paramedic positions.
2022
Town Meeting approves the creation of the rank of Fire Lieutenant for each group. This
greatly improves fire fighter safety and span of control.
2022
A new P25 Phase 2 Radio System is put into service. This state-of-the-art system provides
townwide communications for the following departments: Fire, Police, DPW, Public Schools,
Heath, and Senior Center. The Town invested roughly 4.3 million dollars into this new system.