Upcoming Events


Firewards Meeting
Thursday, Jan. 7th  
19:30 Central Station

Training
Thursday, Jan. 14th 
19:00 Central
TNT Rescue Tool
Training

Business/Club Meeting
Thursday, Jan. 27th
19:00 Central Station
Election of Officers

Fire Danger Today

Class: 1

Ample snow
coverage required
to burn.
Notify dispatch
prior to burning.
539-2263

more info...

News
More
Site Updates:
Home 01/07/10


About Us....

logo
      The Tamworth Fire Department covers 64 square miles of north-eastern New Hampshire . Fire protection is provided to the 2500 year round residents of Tamworth and countless seasonal residents. Although rural in character, Tamworth has six hotels, a 300 seat playhouse, and nursing home, two power plants and a fireworks retailer all requiring higher than average services from the Fire Department. In addition, the Tamworth Fire Department works with New Hampshire Fish and Game to provide search and rescue services in the Sandwich Mountain Range.  

       Services are provided by a full-time Fire Chief and a staff of 33 volunteers running out of 4 fire stations. The Department has four engines, a hose-reel truck, three forestry vehicles, and a staff car. Tamworth Fire is an active member of the Ossipee Valley Mutual Aid Association.


100 Year Dinner Photos


100 years of Tamworth Fire

    2009 is the one hundredth anniversary of the formation of the Tamworth Fire Department. In the early years of Tamworth, and the rest of this nation, neighbors rushed to fires and formed a bucket brigade to fight them. Later, private fire companies, sometimes fighting each other for the right to fight a fire (occasionally as the building burned in the background), responded to blazes. By the mid-19th century most cities had done away with private brigades and instituted municipal fire departments. At the town meeting in March of 1908, the voters approved a warrant article instructing the selectmen to “investigate the matter of providing suitable and practicable facilities for a fire department in different parts of town” and to report at the following year’s town meeting. In 1909, the voters accepted the selectmen’s advice to found a fire department. In the same warrant article voters approved the sum of ten dollars to pay for winding a church clock. In 1912 town meeting considered a warrant article that proposed action on purchasing fire equipment, it was passed over.

    In 1933 the town voted to raise, by taxation, $75 for the maintenance of the Wonalancet fire precinct fire fighting equipment while an article proposing that the town take over the private Tamworth fire station was passed over. At the time there were still several private fire departments – South Tamworth, Chocorua and Tamworth.

    Town meeting records indicate that by 1949 the different fire districts were united under town control – it was the first year that voters elected five firewards, as we do to this day.  The new firewards elected Charlie Remick the first Tamworth Fire Chief.  In 2005 voters decided that managing the Tamworth fire department was a full time job and voted to fund a full time position. Steve Solomon was the first paid fire chief. In 2009 voters approved a warrant article staggering fireward elections so we will no longer elect all the firewards every year.

    One of the first organized efforts to prevent fires on this continent was in 1648. The New Amsterdam (New York City) governor Peter Stuyvesant appointed four men to act as fire wardens. They were empowered to inspect all chimneys and to fine any violators of new rules prohibiting wooden chimneys and thatched roofs that caused fires to spread rapidly.


Tamworth Civic News Dave Bowles and Annie Riecken

Home | Safety | Codes & Regulations | Members | Apparatus | Stations | Photo Gallery | Links | FAQ's | Contacts

Copyright© 2008 Tamworth Fire Dept. All rights reserved.

Welcome!
Wednesday March 10, 2010 03:55 PM
Site Search
Home
Safety
Codes & Regs
Members
Apparatus
Stations
Photos
Links
FAQ's
Contacts