MAGNETAWAN FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE 911
General Inquiries: Magnetawan Fire Hall 387-4442
Ahmic Harbour/Croft Fire Hall 387-4682
HISTORY OF THE MAGNETAWAN FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Magnetawan Fire Department in the year 200 has two stations, one in Ahmic Harbour and one in Magnetawan. The current Fire Chief is Dave Pringle. There are 24 of volunteers in total, along with eight trucks. These consist of three pumpers, two tankers, two heavy rescue trucks and one light rescue van. Many other pieces of modern equipment have been added as the department responds to virtually all types of emergencies.
Magnetawan Fire Department
The Magnetawan Fire Department as it existed in the year 2000 is really composed of two former departments. The Ahmic Harbour/Croft Fire Protection Team and the Magnetawan Fire Department joined ranks on July 1, 1998 as a result of amalgamation. These two groups each have their own history, which they now share.
The Village of Magnetawan Fire Department acquired its first Wajax portable pump around 1949. Willard Raaflaub was the individual responsible for buying this piece of equipment. Prior to that, everyone brought a pail and formed a bucket brigade. It was around 1949 that this group began to acquire official department status. Subsequently another portable pump was acquired. This equipment, along with hose, round bottom pails and ladders, was located in a garage across from the Magnetawan Marina.
In 1974, the Department got its first fire truck. It was an old American Lafrance Pumper that the Lions Club purchased. Joe Bernas was the Fire chief at the time. This truck was kept in Archie King’s garage which doubled as a bus storage garage. Due to problems with heating, the pumper frequently froze in the winter. Bruce Campbell, who replaced Joe Bernas as Fire Chief, spent considerable time repairing the pipes burst from frozen water.
In 1976, a new firehall was build by Charlie McEwen Contracting. It was a 36’ x 36’ block building consisting of two bays. This building was renovated in 1994 by W.J. Fraser Lumber Ltd. The depth of the bays was doubled and a meeting/training room, radio room, washroom, shower and Chief’s office were added. This is still the location of the current Magnetawan station. Bruce Campbell retired from the Department in 1996, and Jack Fraser became Fire Chief and remained so until February 2000, at which time Gary Brown was appointed Chief.
There have been many other changes over the years. The Department has become the Magnetawan-Chapman Fire Department, when Chapman Township became part of organization. In 1998, the Department was renamed the Magnetawan Fire Department.
Other interesting changes include the way people were called out to a fire. Originally the bell of the Anglican Church was used. A rapid ringing of the bell told of a fire, while a slow ringing called people to church. Later a siren was mounted on an antenna tower at the current Magnetawan station. A radio and paging system was added and “fire phones” were located in five or six homes and businesses. The first person answering the call would take down the details and activate the pagers carried by the firefighters. In 1997, when 911 service was installed, a full time dispatch service, Muskoka Ambulance Dispatch, was contracted to page out the department. Other major changers included the addition of more equipment and trucks, and the level of training that was encouraged.
The Ahmic Harbour/Croft Volunteer Fire Brigade
The Ahmic Harbour/Croft Volunteer Fire Brigade made its start in 1976 under Fire Chief Bruce Heynes. Prior to that, they had a bucket brigade that assisted the Hagerman Fire Department.
In 1976, the Ahmic Harbour/Croft Volunteer Fire Brigade became incorporated. They purchased a 1955 International Pumper from the Fonthill Fire Department and built a firehall which, at that time, made them the first unorganized township to have a fire department. It was not until some time later that the Honourable Leo Bernier started fire protection teams. The brigade entered this program and became the Ahmic Harbour/Croft Fire Protection Team.
By entering this program, the group became eligible for government funding and, in 1986, and addition was put into the firehall, and a 1987 GMC Pumper was added to the firehall and the group purchased a rescue van. In total, prior to amalgamation, the group had acquired two pumpers, 1 tanker and a rescue van. The Fire Chief was Gilford Tilson up to the time of amalgamation. The group funded their existence almost entirely on donations and fundraisers. Several members recall countless Saturday night bingos.
In the early years, emergency call were received by telephone. The original call came into someone’s home and that person then had a pre-arranged call list. In turn, each of these people had another pre-arranged list of people to call. This pyramid system was able to contact all members in a timely manner. Later, when a phone was installed at the firehall, radios were used with a phone patch capability to either answer calls or activate them. This system remained until amalgamation when pagers and a dispatcher were adopted.
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