Twinsburg Fire Department celebrates 100th anniversary

by John Benson

May marks the 100th anniversary of the Twinsburg Fire Department, which this fall plans a community celebration at its annual open house.

“It’s really neat to be a part of such a benchmark year,” Twinsburg Fire Chief Tim Morgan said. “When I first got to the department in 1991 it wasn’t too long after we had our 75th anniversary.”

It was during that celebration, as well as whenever old timers visited the station, that Morgan heard some of the memorable stories from the department’s early days.

“You hear a lot of stories about the fires they fought: the Brownberry oven fire, some of those bigger events like the gas explosion in Hudson and back in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s when there were a lot of homes burning in the Twinsburg Heights area,” Morgan said.

“It’s just interesting to hear how they were handled, how they were dealt with back then. Some of the stories seemed like they were right out of a storybook, but at the same time there were lessons to be learned.”

Someone else who heard (and told) plenty of those stories was former Chief Dan Simecek, 82, who served four decades on the Twinsburg Fire Department before retiring in 1997.

“I joined June 6, 1957,” Simecek said. “The reason I remember the exact day is that’s when a new fire truck I always loved was delivered.”

Simecek can provide a wealth of information. After moving to Twinsburg in 1939, he remembers being an 11-year-old kid seeing the department’s then brand new 1947 Buffalo fire truck.

“At the time my best buddy’s dad was fire chief,” Simecek said. “We snuck in to see the new fire engine. I remember running my hands down the fender saying, ‘One day I’ll drive this thing.’ Then 10 years later I did.”

Even though the Twinsburg Fire Department has a lengthy history, it wasn’t too long ago that the operation took major steps to becoming the full-time first responder service it is today. That was in 1994, when the department began to rely on more full-time personnel.
“One of the things that’s transitioned over the last 25 years is the training requirements needed to be a firefighter and a paramedic,” Morgan said. “It’s just a lot.”

The Twinsburg Fire Department was formed in May 1919, founded by 25 community members. A few years later the equipment was stored in Bowens Garage (at the corner of Route 91 and Route 82).

“After starting up in 1919, they reorganized in 1921,” Simecek said. “There was a minister who pushed to get things started. They had a hand-drawn, 25-gallon fire extinguisher he helped them get. It’s in the Twinsburg Historical Society.

“Also, I guess they had a couple of fires and couldn’t really do much. So in 1921 the chamber of commerce had a fund drive and raised $1,400. That’s when they bought their first fire truck, a 1923 Reo.”

In 1956 the department moved to a new building, the current VFW on Ravenna Road.

“Volunteers went to the bank and co-signed a loan to buy the materials to build the fire station,” Simecek said. “They did all of the labor. Later the Township passed a bond to pay off the debt.”

Another three decades passed – adding Emergency Medical Services in the late ‘60s – before the department moved in 1979 to its current Ravenna Road location. Station No. 2 was opened in 2007 on Glenwood Drive. Today the Twinsburg Fire Department has 40 firefighters on staff.

“I was still a volunteer when I became chief in 1985,” said Simecek, who at the time worked for the Twinsburg Service Department.

Communication with the part-time fire department evolved over the decades. Simecek said before using radio alerts in the mid-‘60s, fire notifications throughout the community were from a town siren. In the early ‘90s, the firefighters received pagers.

“In 1969 we got our first ambulance,” Simecek said. “Everything just evolved as the town grew and we got more equipment.”

Today, Simecek is the unofficial Twinsburg Fire Department historian. Not only does he have a room in his home dedicated to the squad, but he also refurbished the department’s second fire truck, a 1934 Ford. The community can see him driving the shiny vehicle in the Memorial Day Parade and Twins Day Parade.

Even though he hasn’t been on duty in more than two decades, Simecek still listens to fire calls on the radio.

Said the former fire chief, “Whenever I hear a call, I often say, ‘Geez, that’s exactly what I would be doing.’”

Featured image photo caption: The Twinsburg Fire Department turns 100 this month, but is holding off a centennial celebration until its annual open house in October. Pictured with members of the staff are Assistant Fire Chief Steve Bosso (fourth from left) and Fire Chief Tim Morgan (fourth from right). Captain James Hartung (second from left) recently retired after a 30-year career in the department. Photo by Mark Gutowski, city of Twinsburg.