New Haven has rich history
CONNELLSVILLE – While New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Co. hosts the 68th Annual Fayette County Fireman’s Association Convention next week, it is also celebrating its 108th year of providing fire protection and other services to the residents of its hometown. Firefighting can trace its roots back to the early Egyptians who used hand-operated wooden pumps to quell blazes.
In Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin is credited with assembling the first volunteer fire company in 1735.
With the early colonists using grasses and straw for roofing material, the thatch often caught fire when struck by lightning or from embers emanating from the chimney, Franklin saw the need to put together a group of volunteers to battle the fires that often destroyed numerous homes in the Philadelphia area.
Locally, New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Co. was founded in early 1898 to service the Borough of New Haven, which is now known as Connellsville’s West Side.
In 1911, the borough consolidated with its neighbor across the Youghiogheny River to form the City of Connellsville and with the jointure, gave the residents two firefighting companies.
According to historical documents, the first New Haven fire station was located in the borough building along Sixth Street. The company equipment consisted of a four-wheel hand-drag wagon with 500 feet of 2 1/2-inch hose line with a second hand-drag wagon with 300 feet of hose atop of West Side Hill.
The city department was the first to have a motor-driven fire truck – a Pope-Harford, purchased in 1910. In 1916, a second truck was purchased at a cost of $6,200.
“It was the pride and joy of both the city-paid department and the New Haven volunteers,” according to Carmine Molinaro, who gathered historical records for a publication for the July 16-22 convention. “Put into service in Connellsville when automobiles were just becoming as common as horses, the 1916 fire truck was the object of close scrutiny by townspeople.”
The truck was gravity-gas-fed, gear-driven with an overhead valve engine which had no fuel pump, air filter or many of the other accessories found on today’s motor vehicles. The equipment included leather water buckets, pitchforks clamped under the running boards for use in barn fires and five ladders ranging from 30 feet to 50 feet in length. When the 1916 vehicle was sold in 1962, the odometer showed a total of 418 miles had been traveled during its service.
Ken Jaynes, convention chairman and New Haven trustee, followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the volunteer organization in 1963.
“I never was interested in firefighting, but when my father passed away, I was asked to join and I did,” he said.
Kenneth I. Jaynes Sr. was the company fire chief from 1958 to 1962.
During the early years, New Haven served in a support capacity to the then 14-member city department, said Jaynes.
The city department has since been downsized to four members. Joe Childs serves as fire chief for both organizations.
Today, New Haven is the first responder after 4 p.m. weekdays and 24 hours Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the increased hours of responsibility, Jaynes said that active firefighters are now required to undergo numerous hours of training to meet state standards, and costs to operate the company have escalated, which translates into more fund-raising to defray the expenses.
Jaynes said the company volunteers are very dedicated to their service to the community and often times spend many hours each week away from home.
“It’s tough,” he said. “Today, both the husband and wife work; the kids are into a lot of activities and with meetings, training, fires and fund-raisers, it takes a lot of their time.
“These are people that truly care about their community.”
In addition to fighting fires, the company has implemented a river rescue team that boasts 12 certified water divers, sponsored Fire Safety Awareness Day for school-aged children and the Halloween and Christmas parades, along with installing the American flag and Christmas pole decorations throughout the year.
The company is also a sponsor of the 15-member bagpipe band and various youth sport teams.
“It takes a lot of time and effort, but we’re proud to do it,” said Jaynes.