Books

 

Through the years, a number of books or booklets/programs have been printed covering various aspects of the history of the York Fire Department. Most of the fire companies have printed booklets or banquet programs that include a history of the fire company.

The Vigilant Fire Company published a history book for its 200th anniversary in 1980. Titled "Vigilant Fire Company No. 1, York, Pennsylvania, 1780-1980," the book was an update of a similar book published in 1955. Both were hardcover books with red cloth covers.

In 1976, the Foremen's - Presidents - Fire Chiefs Association of the York City Fire Department published a hard-bound history book in conjunction with the 97th annual convention of the Pennsylvania State Firemen's Association held in York that year. That book was considered by many to be THE resource book on the history of the fire department. "History of the York City Fire Department - 1776 to 1976" consisted of ten chapters, one for each of the volunteer fire companies in existence at the time, and the tenth chapter covering the career fire fighters. The book took two years to compile.

In the decades since the book's publication, with the vast amount of information now available to anyone with a computer, tablet or smart phone and a connection to the internet, much more information about the history of organized fire protection in York, Pennsylvania is available and ready to be rediscovered. A complete, comprehensive history of the York Fire Department would take a team of researchers many years to compile. For a single researcher, it would be a lifelong project.

In 1989, the York Professional Firefighters Association, Local No. 627 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the labor union representing the career firefighters for York City, published a hard-bound book on its 50th anniversary of its affiliation with the IAFF. That book, "1939 - 1989, York Paid Fire Fighters Association" was more like a yearbook, with chapters for each decade consisting of primarily photographs with some brief history of significant events for each decade.

In addition, many local history books contain sections or chapters about the early fire service in York, Pennsylvania.

When I retired from the department in 2015, I was honored when Fire Chief David Michaels appointed me Chief Historian of the fire department. The history of the department, and local history, has always been one of my passions. I continued to research the department's history, spending many more hours doing research without work getting in the way. As I continued to discover more interesting information about the department, I eventually thought, what will happen to this history once I am gone? Will it once again be lost, awaiting another researcher to rediscover it once again?

My solution was to make sure that most if not all of these rediscoveries were in some way published, to ensure that it remains available and easily found after I am long gone. That was one of the initial reasons why this web site was reborn, as a place to preserve the history of the York fire service.

Then, I decided that some of this needs to be placed in print, in books that others with an interest in local history, and specifically in the history of the York Fire Department, could purchase them and add them to their collections, and so that libraries could add them to their shelves.

My books

Firefighters MonumentWe Strive To Save
An Anthology of York Fire Department History
ISBN: 979-8-9874700-0-8
Published December 2022
188 pages - soft cover
 

My first book. It took about seven years to complete the research of the topics covered in the book. That time estimate does not include research done prior to deciding to publish a book. I learned much about self-publishing a book with this first project. I opted to publish my book through Amazon, to allow them to handle the online sales of the book. This book is also currently available at the gift shop of the York County History Center and at the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum in Harrisburg.

The book consists of fifteen chapters on various topics:

  • The York Fire Department Monuments
  • "Old Suz" - 1867 Wm. M. Ives & Son Steam Fire Engine
  • Reverend Doctor Samuel Henry Stein
  • "The Deluge" - 1892 LaFrance Steam Fire Engine
  • Mack, the Noble Fire Horse of the Rescue Fire Company
  • 1903 American Fire Engine Company Steam Fire Engine
  • Laurel and Vigilant Fire Companies at the Great Baltimore Fire
  • The 1918 Smallpox Outbreak
  • 1933 Ahrens-Fox Model C-T-4 Pumper
  • The Motorization of the York Fire Department
  • 1950 American LaFrance Squad Truck
  • The Hook & Ladder Companies of the York Fire Department
  • The Other Nine Fire Companies
  • The Introduction of Chemical Engines
  • Edward Sweitzer, Vigilant Driver

 

Firefighters MonumentBook Two
Working title: Spectamur Agendo
ISBN: Not yet assigned
Completion date undetermined
Number of pages not yet known
 

I am currently conducting research for my next book. More information to come. I don't expect this one to take seven years.

Stay tuned!

 

 
 
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