Hudson Fire Department celebrates 175 years
by Emily Canning-Dean
Hudson’s annual Safety Services Open House events are known to draw a crowd, but this year’s gathering, which coincides with the fire department’s 175th anniversary, exceeded expectations.
“It was amazing,” said Fire Chief Jerry Varnes. “This had to be our most successful open house yet. Last year had been our biggest with 350 people, but this year we had at least 575 people. We lost count after that.”
People of all ages toured the fire station, got an up close look at all of the department’s safety vehicles and equipment and enjoyed refreshments. The fire department gave away 160 fire extinguishers thanks to a partnership with Ace Hardware and raffled off a ride in a Hudson fire truck. Fire personnel also demonstrated cutting apart two cars using Jaws of Life equipment.
“It’s always so great to see so many kids smiling and families together and the spouses and kids of our firefighters here,” Varnes said. “We had some Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts partner with us for their merit badges, and they were showing kids how to stop, drop and roll. The mayor stopped by and there were members of [city] council here. There was just a lot of good feeling and camaraderie.”
As a fifth-generation firefighter, Varnes himself has deep roots in the department. He has been a member of the department for 47 years and added that for the last 116 years, a member of his family has been involved with the department.
“I’m proud to serve Hudson,” he said. “It is my second family, and I just feel like I’m meant to be here. When you look at the roster, you see a lot of fathers and sons or brothers and sisters who have served here in Hudson.”
The department currently includes six full-time employees and 28 paid on-call volunteers, but Hudson had a much smaller operation when it first started.
Varnes said that in 1849, a group of nine friends and neighbors got together to form Hudson’s first fire department because there had been a number of houses that burned to the ground due to a lack of a fire department.
“At that time, it was called the Hudson Hook and Ladder Company, and they operated off of donations,” Varnes said. “By 1854, they realized they couldn’t keep it going off donations and appealed to the local government to make the department government funded. It grew and changed over the years, but it survived.”
Varnes added that the equipment has evolved over the years. The department started with one ladder cart, which contained wooden ladders and was dragged by hand to the fire where firefighters used buckets to extinguish the flames. By 1859, the department purchased a Button and Blake hand pumper.
“That pumper still works and is currently housed in our museum,” Varnes said.
Varnes said Hudson has been blessed to still operate as a combination full-time/volunteer fire department.
“This allows us to have a very lean budget but also afford state of the art incredible equipment that we can use to better serve our residents,” he said.
While fire departments across the country struggle to find volunteers to staff their departments, Varnes said Hudson has been fortunate to have many residents step up to serve.
“That is something you just don’t get everywhere,” he said. “And we have a wonderful mix of diverse people who volunteer. We have all sorts of backgrounds, ethnicities and religions. I’m not sure why we have been blessed with so many people who want to volunteer, and it’s possible the bubble will eventually burst, but council is being very proactive. They are currently doing a study to make sure we have a rock solid plan in place if things change.”
Photo Caption: Hudson Mayor Jeff Anzevino, Fire Chief Jerry Varnes and council member Chris Banweg greet community members at an Oct. 14 open house, celebrating the fire department’s 175th anniversary. Photos by K. Garred.