Our History

The Enfield Volunteer Fire Department (EVFD) was formed in the late summer of 1957 and is one of the oldest departments in the area. The founding members were: Harold Ledwidge, Lou Parker, Floyd Logan, Jim Horne, Warren Gilby, Austin Adams, Jack Thompson, Joe Ledwidge, Murray Clarke, Alex McKeen, and Laurie Ledwidge. Lou Parker was the first Enfield Fire Chief.

Several of these dedicated men purchased the first fire truck in August 1957, by signing a bank note for $1,500. It was an Air Force surplus 1941 International 5-ton open cab fire truck. To go with the truck, a portable pump and some hoses were obtained from the N.S. Department of Lands and Forests. With no building to house it in, the truck was parked in Laurie Ledwidge's yard for the first year — but as winter approached, freezing temperatures did not allow water to be left in the truck. In the event of a fire, the firemen had to get the truck, fill it with water, and finally respond. Being all wet after a fire, the men became blocks of ice while returning to the hall in the open truck.

Meanwhile, a request was made to the Roman Catholic Church regarding the use of a piece of church property to build a fire hall on. Permission was soon received from the Archbishop and the Department was given a five-year lease. This was later renewed for a fifty-year period and subsequently for another twenty-five years in 2015.

The first "fire hall" was a humble 16′ × 36′ structure, which had room for one truck and an oil stove. During the winters of the first few years, the firemen took turns visiting the hall nightly to check the oil stove to ensure that the water in the truck did not freeze. They also made sure that the driveway was cleared, and that all was ready for an emergency call.

Acting as an unofficial auxiliary, the ladies of the local branch of the W.I.N.S. supported the Department by making lunches and working at fund raisers. The loan on the first truck was paid back by the Department holding ticket sales, dances, and levees in the local Legion Hall.

In June 1963, construction of a new building was started. It consisted of what is now the front 45-foot portion of the current hall and included a sixteen-thousand gallon cistern under the back section, filled by capturing rain water from the roof. Money for the new construction was partly raised by gathering up and crushing old cars. The old building was donated to the community for recreational use and moved to the Legion property.

The next truck purchased was a 1952 Ford 700 Pumper/Tanker, which remained in service until its sale in 1985. In May 1964, Chief Parker came up with the idea of holding a weekly bingo — supported from the start by Parker Brothers Store. The Department held its first bingo game on May 4, 1964 and has been going continuously ever since. At first, games were held at the church hall until it burned down and temporarily continued at the Legion. Over the years the bingos have enabled the Department to steadily upgrade its equipment while providing enjoyment for the community.

Upon Lou Parker's retirement in 1968, Frank Horne became Fire Chief. Under his watch, a 1963 Ford F750 chassis was purchased and fitted with a 1,000-gallon tank. In 1969 the Department bought its first new truck — a 1969 Ford F600 Pumper/Tanker with an 840 GPM pump and a 500-gallon tank. Designated as Truck #1, it remains today as a restored parade vehicle.

Water and sewer were hooked up to the building in the early 1970s. In 1974 Chief Horne laid a corner stone in memory of Lou Parker and, largely with the help of friends, the apparatus bay was extended to its current length and the "community hall" section was added. About this time the Department had its first female member, Fay (last name forgotten). The reins were handed over in 1975 to the Postmaster, Ernie Blois, as the new Fire Chief.

A significant acquisition in the late 1970s was a "quick response" vehicle — a 1½-ton 1976 Dodge carrying 250 gallons of water with a dominant hose reel on top and other emergency equipment. Fire-phones were in use at this time that required each person to call a number of others. Since many members worked at the Enfield Hardware store (now Home Hardware), it would close so they could respond to the fire. Eventually, improvements to communications were made possible with the purchase of three mobile radios.

The early 1980s saw the purchase of the "Twins" — two GMC Pumper/Tankers with 840 GPM pumps each carrying 1,000 gallons of water, identical except that one had a place for carrying a Port-a-Tank. The first annual Dinner/Dance was held in 1985 and more renovations took place: the second floor was added above the apparatus bays, the radio room was built, and the stairwell leading upstairs was added.

Other events of the 1980s included joining the District 14 Mutual Aid Association and taking on financial support for Multiple Sclerosis and the Nova Scotia Burn Treatment Society. A notable event in 1987 was a response to a helicopter crash near the airport. Also in 1987, Ernie Blois resigned as Chief and moved to Ottawa, resulting in Terry Jones being called upon to become Fire Chief. As a fitting tribute to founding member Harold Ledwidge, the #3 was retired and a display case for his gear was built some years later.

By the 1990s, the Department was responding to medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents in its custom-built heavy rescue vehicle. A Lifepac 300 defibrillator was purchased as the number of emergency calls approached 140 per year. Bordie Oakley was injured in 1992 and Cecil Dixon filled in during his convalescence. When Bordie returned the Department decided to keep both on as daytime firefighters.

In the early 1990s, in collaboration with the Enfield elementary schools, the Learn Not To Burn program was launched — credited with saving many children's lives in other jurisdictions. At about this time, the Department adopted the wearing of Dress Uniforms for special occasions.

Further into the decade came implementation of the 911 and paging systems along with an early draft of Standing Operating Procedures. In 1994, Cecil Dixon was elected as the new Fire Chief. Major equipment procurements included switching to Draeger SCBAs and the purchase of a 1983 Thibault 100 ft. Aerial truck. The Department was registered as a not-for-profit society and work began to produce new Bylaws.

New Bylaws took effect in 1996, bringing a major change in Department governance. A five-member Executive was henceforth elected using a preferential ballot method, including the new position of President, filled by former Chief Ernie Blois who had returned to the area. The new Fire Chief was Francis Ledwidge. Fire Officers were now appointed by the elected Executive and served as the Operations Committee — changes designed to make command positions more merit-based. A major 1996 purchase was an IHC Crew-cab "Budget Buster" fire engine.

By the end of the decade, the Department had developed strong vehicle extrication skills, with some members competing throughout North America. Cecil Dixon became Atlantic Canada's representative for TERC (Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee). The Department hosted an Extrication Competition in 2000 in Enfield, attended by a dozen departments from as far away as Texas. A 1999 IHC Superior 50 ft. Aerial truck was also acquired, with the previous aerial and an older engine traded in on the deal.

The Extrication Team participated in Burlington Ontario in 2001 and Amherst NS in 2002. In 2003, Hurricane Juan ripped the roof off the community hall side. In 2004, Reg Sweeney was elected President with Francis continuing as Chief. Annual calls were now in the range of 175. Major purchases included a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC), a new furnace, and re-shingling of the roof. New SCBA sets were required, the bay door was replaced, and a back-up generator system was installed following the hurricane. In 2006, the Department received its new Heavy Rescue built by Lantz Truck Body Ltd. of Port William, N.S.

In 2007, John Csutorka became President after Reg did not re-offer due to ill health, to which he succumbed later in the year. In his memory, a Memorial Fund was established with a bursary awarded to deserving graduates of the two local high schools. Major renovations to the Hall exterior also took place in 2007. Bordie Oakley was recognized by the Province for his 50 years of service to the community.

In 2009, John Mettam assumed the Presidency. The community hall was fitted with an air conditioning system, station-wear was adopted as the uniform of the day, and the Extrication Team performed well at the Atlantic Auto Ex Challenge. The decade ended on a sour note with Wilbert (Junior) Dearman's passing.

In 2010, a new efficient propane heating system was installed. The Extrication Team continued their conquests in Burlington, Myrtle Beach, and Ottawa, and received a letter of commendation from Halton Ontario EMS regarding assistance provided by Enfield members Fraser and Nicholson. Due to restricted access to some homes in the serviced area, a 1½-ton Dodge crew cab was purchased — seating five and carrying 400 gallons of water with forestry equipment — to also serve as the prime response vehicle for after-hours medical calls.

In 2012 the ramp in front of the Hall was re-surfaced with concrete and the personal gear lockers were updated to a Ready Rack system. A new electronic sign was purchased for outside. Terry MacAlloney became Fire Chief in 2013 with Francis Ledwidge becoming President. The new cab-over Spartan fire engine approved the previous year was put in service.

In 2014, major upgrades were carried out to the breathing air compressor system to allow filling of 4,500 PSI SCBA air cylinders. Technological upgrades included switching to a Trunked Mobile Radio (TMR) system and implementing the "I Am Responding" program for tracking member availability, call paging, and response monitoring.

In 2016, Pat MacNamara became President while Terry remained as Chief. Continuing the practice of replacing a major piece of equipment every five years or so, a new 100-foot platform truck was ordered in 2017, with delivery in early 2018. This made it necessary to again modify the bay doors to facilitate the larger vehicle — considered a necessity as numerous four-storey apartment buildings have appeared in the area while the nearest similar apparatus is at least an hour away. The whole East Hants Mutual Aid group is well served by this latest EVFD acquisition.

Some notable fires over the years include Ledwidge Lumber, the IGA store with eight apartments upstairs, the Enfield Legion, the Endale Funeral Home, and Curly Portable's — along with dozens of house fires, chimney fires, brush fires, and hundreds of motor vehicle accidents and medical calls. With annual calls now well over 300, the Enfield Volunteer Fire Department continues to proudly serve the community of Enfield and the surrounding area, and always welcomes new members and visitors.