History of the Fire Department
In January 1900, town residents stood helplessly by as a spectacular blaze destroyed the railroad station in River Edge, then known as Riverside. At this time there was no firefighting equipment available to the townspeople to extinguish the fire. As a result a group of civic minded men decided to form a fire brigade. The newly formed fire company was officially organized on August 13, 1900 with 22 members.
The original elected officers of the fire company consisted of a Foeman, Assistant Foeman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
In 1902 the organization purchased the first piece of fire fighting apparatus, a hose pumper from the Borough of Delford – now known as the Borough of Oradell.
In 1904 Company # 2 was organized by John Thompson.
River Edge Fire Department
Members outside their newly constructed Kinderkamack Road Fire Company #1 c.1954
In 1905 they purchased a wagon to carry hose and utilized the horses owned by E. M. Crandell to pull the wagon.
1909 saw a new fire house built on Kinderkamack Road to house the wagon. The same year a new combination Borough Hall and fire house was built on Kinderkamack Road just north of Lincoln Avenue.
In 1913 the Fire Department was placed under Municipal control, and more equipment was purchased.
In 1927 the first piece of motorized fire apparatus was purchased.
A new fire house was built in 1940 on Ackerson Street for Company # 2 to house the two pumper trucks they owned.
River Edge Fire Department
Members perform rig checks at the Ackerson Street Fire Company #2 during the 1960’s
In 1954 a new fire house was constructed at Kinderkamack Road and Tenney Avenue to house the ladder truck and a pumper of Company # 1.
Currently the department operates with a compliment of 60 full members, a compliment of auxiliary members, and a newly established a cadet program. The department operates 3 engines, a ladder truck, a rescue truck and a special operations team.
