Local History

Have you ever wondered about Dixmont’s history? Probably not, so I’m here to tell you a little bit about the Dixmont Volunteer Fire Department. This report will cover the following topics: the founding and incorporation, the new and old fire trucks, the complications of OSHA, and recent events with the fire dept. This paper will focus on the history of the Dixmont Volunteer Fire Department.
To start, the beginning of the fire dept. The Dixmont Vol. Fire Dept. was founded before it was incorporated. You’re probably thinking well yes, most companies are founded before they are incorporated, but the D.V.F.D. was founded about 10 years before it was incorporated. The fire dept. was founded, in 1940 something, by members of the early community to save houses from fire whenever the need arose. Almost 10 years later, in 1950, the papers went in for incorporation. The incorporation was a great help to the community. With new equipment being paid for, the firefighters of Dixmont were better prepared to fight fires and save lives. That is the story of the beginning of the Dixmont Vol. Fire Dept.
Now, Dixmont doesn’t have the biggest trucks or the most trucks, but for what there are, they certainly get the job done. Over the years, Dixmont has had 8 trucks. Some of the very first trucks were a red pumper and a 1974 Dodge. The Dodge was made specifically for our town. The company that was making the truck abandoned the project, and in 1975 was picked up again by a different company. The new truck made it to Dixmont in time for the centennial in 1976. The next few trucks were a tanker and a pumper. Both of these trucks were painted with not the famous red, but a lime green. This color still sticks with the trucks today. The next trucks to come into the station were another pumper, a tanker, and a jeep (which was used as a brush truck). All 3, again, were specially painted to a lime green color. The newest truck is a brush truck that came from Varna, New York. And as you guessed, painted to the signature lime green. Now, only the new pumper, the tanker, and the new brush truck remain in service. In January of 19__ fire chief, Jim Dunivan’s barn was spotted ablaze. He rushed to the farm and with the help of friends and neighbors, started to release the animals. Later that day, an OSHA official stopped by as cleanup was underway. The official told Jim (the chief) that even though they put the fire out, they put it out wrong. Six months later the state fined Dixmont $1000 for not making the firefighters wear safety gear and airpacks (SCBA). The state also fined Dixmont for not being able to prove that all firefighters were properly trained. Failure to correct these problems would result in fines of $1000, a day. News spread like wildfire across the nation. Soon, dozens of letters and donations came flying in from all around the country. A town in New Jersey sent the D.V.F.D. more airpacks, and money to send people to fire fighter courses. Finally, it was settled in court that Dixmont only had to pay $100, but had to send the firefighters to training.
Some of the most recent events have been the new meeting room in the main station, the towns Bicentennial, and the renovation of the North Dixmont Fire Station. The new meeting room was a much needed renovation to the main station. With new walls, a new ceiling, and new panels on the floor, the station took on a completely new look. The Dixmont Fire Dept. also participated in the towns Bicentennial. By directing traffic and providing public safety in general it showed the community that there are caring people on the fire department. The most recent event has been the renovation of the North Dixmont fire station. This project was undertaken by me. This renovation included new siding, a new door, and a new sign. All these events helped improve the Dixmont fire dept.
In conclusion, the Dixmont Volunteer Fire Dept. has a pretty big history. From the founding to the newest things, the D.V.F.D. has been an awesome attribute to the community. The history of the Dixmont fire dept. was certainly more interesting then I thought.