Past and Present Chiefs
Garland Griffin - 1959-1976
John Risk - 1977, 1982, 1985
Tom Applegate - 1978
Alan Wedding - 1979-1981, 1984, 1989
Harry Alonzo - 1983
Joe Jubert Jr - 1986-1987, 2006
Keith Gaskill - 1988
Keith Bryant - 1992-1993
Ray Holmes - 1994-1996
Tom Heaney - 1997-1999
Jim Parker - 2000-2001
Pat Piccoli - 2002-2005
Mike Risk - 2007-2008
Past and Present Presidents
Ed Tolbert - 1970-1971
Tom Smith - 1972-1977
Joe Jubert Sr. - 1978-1979, 1984-1985, 1989
Bill Sprague - 1980
Pat Piccoli - 1981-1982
Alan Wedding - 1985
Charlie Sorenson - 1986-1987
Dan Decross Jr. - 1988
Kevin McCormack - 1990
Don Wedding - 1991-1992
Keith Gaskill - 1993, 2003
Steve Holmes - 1995-1997
Bert Plante - 1998, 2001-2002
Rich Heaney - 1999-2000
John Risk - 2004-2007
Joe Jubert Jr. - 2008
In Memory Of Those Who Served
Sammy Lee Ed Tolbert |
Andrew Booker |
Company History
On March 30, 1959 members of the Manitou Park Planning Board formed on paper, The Manitou Park Fire and Rescue Squad. Plans were made for a firehouse on 3rd Avenue and 4th Street in Manitou Park and in 1960 with an all black membership of 32, a house to house fund drive was started to purchase block to lay the foundation. Johnson Lumber Co. donated roofing material and helped install the trusses, members of the fire company built the roof. Finally after contributions from the citizens of Manitou Park and the Johnson Lumber Co. and after endless hours of labor performed by the members, the firehouse was completed. In 1960 the fire company purchased their first fire truck; a used pumper that was formally owned by the Breton Woods Vol. Fire Company. Chief Garland Griffin purchased the second piece of apparatus; a 1939 Dodge 250 G.P.M. pumper. Fire equipment to outfit the members and their two fire trucks was donated from fire companies throughout Ocean County. In 1961 the members attended their first firefighter training at Silverton Firehouse in Dover Township. The Fire Company received its first new piece of apparatus in 1962, a G.M.C. T.A.S.C. 500 G.P.M. pumper, once again equipment was donated to outfit the pumper. At first, certain fire companies in the area and township officials did not want to recognize the fire company and gradually, black volunteers became frustrated and began to quit. With only seven firefighters remaining in 1967, township officials suggested Chief Griffin disband the fire company and the township would use the firehouse to store road department equipment. Instead of giving in to the township, Chief Griffin went out to recruit new members anywhere they could be found, both blacks and whites. “A man doesn’t care what color a fireman is when his house is burning” was the slogan Griffin used to recruit new members, and it worked. The membership grew as men were joining from the surrounding areas. This proved to be the turning point in the history of the fire company. In a time where most fire companies were resisting state directives to integrate, blacks and whites were working together fighting fires for the Manitou Park Vol. Fire Company. In 1966 the fire company purchased a used Hess tractor and tanker trailer for one dollar and paid twenty five dollars to have it towed from Woodbridge to Manitou Park. Many hours were put in by the members converting it into a fire tanker, and in 1967 it was put into service. A 1956 G.M.C. laundry truck was purchased by the fire company in 1969 and the members painted the truck and installed cabinets converting it into a, salvage, overhaul and rescue unit. As the town was growing, so was the fire company in 1972 a 1000 G.P.M. Imperial Custom Pumper was purchased by the township and with donations by Runyon Doss and Mirair Houvanian and an addition of three bays was added to the firehouse. In 1973 the fire company and the township purchased a 1956 B-model Mack 750 G.P.M. pumper from the Dover Twp. Board of Fire Commissioners. A brush truck was soon needed to help suppress the increasing number of brush fires in the township. The company received a 1954 Reo 2 1/2 ton military truck from the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service which the company converted into a brush truck. This brush truck “1809” has seen many major brush fires with the company since 1972 including the most unforgettable fires of the late seventies – February 29th 1976: a 100 acre brush fire on the south side of Dover Rd. 1809 and her crew were making a impressive stop to the head fire, but and to back down as the intense heat of the wall of flames started to boil the water out of the truck’s radiator – 1977: 1809 and her crew helped suppress the 1200 acre brush fire that burned on both the north and south sides of Dover Rd. Even though the township had purchased two new engines for the fire company, it wasn’t until 1973 that a resolution was adopted naming the Manitou Park Vol. Fire Company, the second fire company in the township. An unusual event occurred in 1973 two small civilian airplanes collided over Route 37 west, one plane crashed near Community Medical Center, Toms River. The second plane came down in a wooded area in Manitou Park, just blocks away from the firehouse. In 1976 the township purchased a 1951 Ford F-7 Great Eastern 500 G.P.M. pumper. The fire company still owns this truck to this date. Also in 1976, Runyon Doss donated land and materials and helped the members build a sub-station in the Silver Ridge and Holiday City section of the township. In 1978 the town purchased a Chevy Step Van to replace the 1956 G.M.C. salvage, overhaul and rescue unit. Soon an additional pumper was needed and in 1981 a fully equipped Hahn 1000 G.P.M. custom pumper was purchased for the fire company by the township. Another unusual event occurred in June of 1982. A tornado ripped through Silver Ridge Park, tearing off roofs homes, overturning automobiles and causing enormous damage to the community. The fire company spent over 36 hours evacuating and securing homes. But also in 1982 on Christmas Eve one of the saddest events in the fire company’s history occurred. Faulty Christmas lights started a fire which destroyed the contents of the fire company’s lounge. Irreplaceable items such as plaques, trophies and fire company memorabilia were all lost. The lounge was soon rebuilt and the company as been refilling its shelves with new trophies and memorabilia ever since. The next piece of apparatus the company received was in 1985, Emergency-ONE G.M.C. 1000 G.P.M. pumper. One of the larger structural fires in the history of the company occurred in 1986. Around 3:00 in the morning we were dispatched for a reported structural fire at the Kosich Furniture Store and apartments. The first apparatus on the scene reported heavy smoke showing. AS the apartments were evacuated, an interior attack was attempted. The intense heat and rapidly deteriorating integrity of the structure forced the hose teams out. Soon afterwards part of the roof collapsed allowing the fire to dramatically intensify. An exterior attack was mounted utilizing fire equipment from all neighboring communities and beyond for more than 14 hours.
1987 to present is being worked on, and will be posted soon.
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