Welcome to Ligonier Vol. Hose Co. #1

            An alarm bell, two copper fire extinguishers (three gallon capacity) and two wooden extension ladders.

            That is the total inventory of the original equipment purchased by Ligonier’s first fire department in the fall of 1897.

The money to purchase these items had been raised at carnival in August of that year. It was Hose Co. No. 1’s first fund raiser, held two months after the company’s formation in June.

The organization of the company was the culmination of a growing concern among leading citizens of the borough that Ligonier needed a more regular system of fire protection than the ad hoc “bucket brigades” which had been hastily formed when fires struck in the past.

Today, in its second century of service, Hose Co. No. 1 stands ready to protect the town and valley with an impressive array of state-of-the-art equipment – a 2000 Sutphen Engine, a 2002 Sutphen Tower, a 2007 Sutphen Rescue (incorporating a rear-mount pump) and a 2008 Ford F-450 heavy duty diesel service truck.

(The company also maintains its first pumper, a 1927 Cosmopolitan. This truck, restored in the 1990s, has been a winner at many parades and show events and continues to be used on special occasions.)

But while the latest cutting tools, fog systems, breathing apparatus and bunker gear enhance the readiness of Hose Co. No. 1, it is the company’s personnel who make it great. Volunteer fire companies have a deep and storied tradition in Western Pennsylvania, which continues to have the highest concentration of volunteer units in the nation. And the men and women of Hose Co. No. 1 are dedicated to preserving that tradition whatever the time, whatever the season, whatever the circumstances. We stand in the front line with the other companies of the Ligonier Valley to protect the people and property of the area.

If you are interested in volunteering and becoming a part of this organization, either as a firefighter or as a “Second Alarmer” (providing support at the station, helping with equipment care and maintenance, fire policing and many other activities of the company) please contact us.