Darby Fire Company No. 1
"Most Aggressive"
EST. 1775
NON-EMERGENCY (610) 583-5111 EMERGENCY 911
Organized in 1775 Darby Fire Company #1 is the oldest VOLUNTEER Fire Company in Delaware County, 2nd oldest in the State of Pennsylvania and 5th oldest in the Country.
Today we provide the best firefighting techniques and equipment with over 40 active members and we provide Emergency Medical Services to Darby, Colwyn, and Sharon Hill Boroughs staffed by Medics and EMT’s from Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.
As we celebrate our 250th year, we eagerly look to the future.
The Borough of Darby Pennsylvania was settled by Quakers in 1682. The town was named after an English city called Derbyshire which was the origin of many settlers. The new community saw rapid growth as a mill town and a transportation stop for travelers heading south out of the City of Philadelphia. In December of 1774 a fire occurred in a farmhouse, which took the lives of two children. The loss sent a shock wave through the small town. Several residents of the town organized "The Darby Fire Company" on January 27th, 1775. In March 1903, the organization was incorporated as "The Darby Fire Company No. 1". The fire company is the oldest volunteer fire company in Delaware County Pennsylvania and one of the oldest in the United States of America, founded less that fifty years after Ben Frankin’s Union Fire Company in neighboring Philadelphia.
Darby Borough is just minutes from Philadelphia International Airport and lies within the flightpath of that facility. Two major freight railroads and part of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor traverse the small town. The Southeastern Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is one the largest transits system in the country. The agency has a light rail hub, bus terminal, and a regional rail station in various locations in the community. The well-travelled US Route 13 cuts through the center of town.
The town is only eight tenths of a square mile with a population of just under 11,000 and was deeply impacted by the decline of industry in the region in the later part of the 20th century. Many homes in the community are well over 100 years old. Parts of the business district have been destroyed by flooding or fire and were unable to be rebuilt due to economic depression, potential flooding concerns from Darby Creek.
Darby is home to one of the oldest libraries in the nation. The Darby Free Library was founded in 1743. Healthcare institutions are the largest industry and employers in the town. There are three nursing homes and one hospital located in town.
The early firefighters fought fires using leather water buckets, ladders and hooks until the company purchased its first piece of fire equipment in 1833 for $225.00. The pumper was a used hand apparatus of the rotary vane-style pump filled with buckets of water and operated by six members. The piece was nicknamed "The Darby Ram" as the ram was the mascot of the woolen mills in Darby and surrounding area. The Ram was well known throughout the County as one the first fire apparatus in Delaware County. A hose cart was purchased in 1834. In 1877 the company purchased a used horse/hand drawn piece from The Shiffler Hose Company of Philadelphia for $400.00. Known as “The Schiffler”, the apparatus was a Philadelphia style pumper, double deck, which could be operated by 10-12 members. The Ram and The Shiffler are still owned by the fire company today.
The fire company has had several homes throughout history. After living in sheds, barns, or garages, a permanent firehouse was built at the corner of Chester Pike and Quarry Street. The current fire station was completed in 1912 and saw several additions and modifications over the last 100 years. A new apparatus room was constructed by company members in 1960 that would house two pumpers, a small rescue truck, and an ambulance. A three-bay addition was constructed in 2014 that accommodates an aerial device, and two pumpers. The renovated bay houses three ambulances.
The year 1919 would bring the fire company into the modern automotive era with the acquisition of a 1917 Kissel touring car which a Hale 350 GPM pump. In 1924, a 1919 Reo Speedwagon hose wagon was placed into service. Also in 1924, an American LaFrance 1000 GPM engine delivered. An Autocar chemical and hose wagon equipped with two 35 gallon chemical tanks was delivered in 1935.
Two 700 Series American LaFrance pumpers were delivered in 1952. One pumper had a 750 GPM pump, 150 gallon water tank and was equipped with high pressure fog. The other pumper had a 1000 GPM pump and a 150 gallon water tank. A 1957 International A-Series rescue with full cab and walk-in crew area was purchased.
A 1968 American Lafrance 900 series pumper was purchased to replace one of the 1952 pumpers. This apparatus had a 1000 GPM pumper and a 500 gallon water tank. In 1973, another American LaFrance pumper with a 1000 GPM pump and 500 water tank was purchased to replace the remaining 1952 pumper. This pumper is privately owned by a collector in Canada.
In the early 1980’s, the fire company ventured into the mini-pumper era to reduce wear on the larger apparatus. A 1974 International / Pierce mini-pumper with a 300 GPM pump and 300 gallon water tank was purchased at auction from the Philadelphia Fire Department. The mini-pumper served as Tac 13 while owned by the PFD and would be utilized as a front-line piece for several years.
Realizing the value of the mini-pumper, the fire company specified and purchased a new vehicle constructed by Emergency One in 1984 on a 1981 GMC chassis with four-wheel drive. The apparatus had 250 GPM pump and a 300 gallon water tank. This apparatus was in front-line service until 1997.
The first and only top mounted pump owned by the organization was supplied by Emergency One in 1987. The 1000 GPM Hurricane pumper had a 500 gallon water and was only one of several custom-built fire apparatus produced that model year with a five-speed manual transmission. In 1997 the piece was returned to the Emergency One factory and was refurbished. A four-door cab and automatic transmission were installed.
Locally, the warning lights were upgraded, and to improve functionality, the booster hose, electrical cord, and generator were moved to the topside dunnage area. This apparatus is now privately owned.
The fire company would again turn to American LaFrance in 1999 to supply an Eagle cab, pump and chassis. Quality Fire Apparatus provided the body work for 1500 GPM pumper with a 750 gallon water tank and replaced the 1973 American LaFrance pumper.
A 2007 Seagrave Marauder II was purchased as a demonstrator in 2008 to replace the 1987 E-One pumper. Originally ordered by the Upper Darby Township Fire Department, the unit could not be delivered at completion. This apparatus was equipped with a 1500 GPM pump and a 750 gallon water tank. In an attempt to downsize, the vehicle was sold to the Milford Township Fire Company in Bucks County Pennsylvania in 2019.
Command 4 is a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with multiple mobile radios, SCBA and ICS equipment. This vehicle is regularly used as a command post on incidents.
In January 2016 a Seagrave Marauder T-Series was purchased used from the Lansdowne Fire Company to replace the 1999 American LaFrance / Quality Pumper. This apparatus is now known as Engine 4 and has a 1500 GPM pump and a 750 gallon water tank.
A 2002 Seagrave Marauder 100 foot quint with a 2000 GPM pump and a 500 gallon water tank was added to the fleet in early 2018 and would be the first aerial devi Purchased from the West Berlin (New Jersey) Fire Company, this would be the first aerial device owned by the fire company. Unfortunately, the apparatus was damaged beyond repair due to a crash responding to a mutual aid building fire in December 2022. Through the generosity of the Elsmere Fire Company (Delaware), a 1995 E-One Hurricane 110 rear mount ladder was acquired in April 2023 to run as Truck 4 while long-term replacement arrangements can be established.
A 1989 Pirce Arrow pumper with a 54’ articulating boom was purchased used from the Media Fire Company No. 1 (Pennsylvania). Currently serving as Squrt 4, this vehicle has a 1500 GPM pump, a 500 gallon water tank and an 80 gallon class B foam tank.
A new Pierce Enforcer pumper with a 1500 GPM pumper with a 500 gallon water tank is on order with a late 2024 delivery expected.
Today the Darby Fire Company No. 1 provides fire and rescue services to the Boroughs of Darby and Colwyn. EMS is provided to Darby, Colwyn, and Sharon Hill through a partnership with the Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. The fire company responds to an average of over 800 fire calls and nearly 4000 EMS calls annually.
Appreciation is extended to Bruce W. Anderson for his detailed apparatus history of the Darby Fire Company No. 1 and to Frank Boyd who provided pictures from his personal collection.
