The Fort Myers Fire Department was formed in May, 1901, following a series of large fires in the downtown area. The day after it was formed the new volunteer fire department responded to its first structure fire. Battling a house fire with hand-conveyed buckets, the firefighters were unable to save the home; however, they prevented the spread of fire to other buildings. Realizing that bucket-brigades were no match for large fires, the department bought its first fire engine, a used Button hand pumper, in August 1901.
By 1905 City Council was paying the volunteer fire department $10.00 each for every fire extinguished, and had purchased a new hand drawn fire engine with a 12-horsepower gasoline fire pump. The engine was put to its first real test in 1914, as the Lee County Packing House and the steam ship Thomas A. Edison were destroyed by fire. In June, a side wheel steamer, a large warehouse and a pier were destroyed, still later that year 2 hotels and 6 other buildings were destroyed by a wind driven fire. This series of fires alarmed the City Council who quickly voted to purchase the city’s first motor driven fire engine.
On September 13, 1920 the city appointed its first paid fire chief and authorized him to hire six full time firefighters, at the monthly wage of $10.00 per month. In 1922 the city installed a Gamewell Fire Alarm System and placed 20 call boxes around the city
The Fort Myers Fire Department was formed in May, 1901, following a series of large fires in the downtown area. The day after it was formed the new volunteer fire department responded to its first structure fire. Battling a house fire with hand-conveyed buckets, the firefighters were unable to save the home; however, they prevented the spread of fire to other buildings. Realizing that bucket-brigades were no match for large fires, the department bought its first fire engine, a used Button hand pumper, in August 1901.
By 1905 City Council was paying the volunteer fire department $10.00 each for every fire extinguished, and had purchased a new hand drawn fire engine with a 12-horsepower gasoline fire pump. The engine was put to its first real test in 1914, as the Lee County Packing House and the steam ship Thomas A. Edison were destroyed by fire. In June, a side wheel steamer, a large warehouse and a pier were destroyed, still later that year 2 hotels and 6 other buildings were destroyed by a wind driven fire. This series of fires alarmed the City Council who quickly voted to purchase the city’s first motor driven fire engine.
On September 13, 1920 the city appointed its first paid fire chief and authorized him to hire six full time firefighters, at the monthly wage of $10.00 per month. In 1922 the city installed a Gamewell Fire Alarm System and placed 20 call boxes around the city