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Cologne's History was started in the
late 50's
Little known facts about our department
The Cologne Vol. Fire Department was started in the December of 1958. The first meeting was held in Herman Leipe Jr.'s cellar. We became incorporated in 1960 and shortly thereafter, our first firefighters began construction of our Firehouse. The land upon which the station sits was donated by the Leipe family and Harry Schaab. Before the building was completed, the men who dreamed and worked hard for this company were already having drills with the Laureldale Vol. Fire Co. At that time, the Chief of Laureldale was Charlie Skinner and Asst. Chief was Bob Skinner.
Our first piece of apparatus was a red and white Chevy that was donated to us by the Laureldale Vol. Fire Co.. We also had a Model A Ford donated to us by Bill Bergots from Egg Harbor City, NJ. At the time, we could not afford any apparatus or equipment and depended mostly on donations. A Chevy oil truck arrived thereafterwards that was bought from Sutton Oil Co. in Pleasantville, NJ. With the help of John Lieb and Lenny "Unc" Lieb, we were able to transform the oil truck into a water tanker.
A lot of people ask, "Why are your trucks yellow?". Well, around 1966, one of our trucks was involved in an accident. It was in the shop getting repaired and at the same time, we were having one built. OSHA was trying to implement a plan to change the color of all fire trucks to safety yellow. We decided to change the color right then since both trucks needed to be painted. OSHA's plan never went through and most companies kept their fire trucks their original color. Since our trucks had already been painted yellow, we kept the color and all of our apparatus have been that color since.
Past and Present
In the past, fire trucks were designed for one thing only, Carrying the supplies and Firefighters to put out a fire. You had no such things as fire hydrants around here. Firefighters had to usually draft from local ponds and lakes to get their water. You were able to ride on the back bumper and hang on. There were no such thing as fighting a fire with foam, or pagers that activated when you were needed. Firefighters wore blue jeans and T-shirts and used bandanas to cover their face. Haz-Mat situations weren't treated like they are today and no one would have ever thought of using computers or something called a thermal imaging camera that would allow you to see people and objects in a fire.
Today, fire trucks are designed with safety in mind when building apparatus from seat belts to enclosed cabs. No more riding on the back of a fire truck and now you can pretty much find a hydrant anywhere. Today firefighters have full gear, breathing apparatus, and something called PASS devices that will alert other firefighters if you are down in a building. Today technologies are growing more and more each day and with the help of donations, we are able to keep up with the changes to assure quicker, safer and better responses to help our community.
Future Plans and Goals for Cologne Fire Dept.
Just by observing what has transposed over the years with the building of the Hamilton Mall, Consumer Square, Wal-Mart and Festival Shopping Center, and all of the new developments that keep going up, we realize that this township is getting larger each year and that means that we have to increase our membership and equipment to adjust to these changes. In the near future, we are hoping to be approved for an aerial piece of apparatus. With all of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and higher story buildings around Cologne's area now, it is vital to provide the people in those areas with a quick response and to be able to assist them immediately to escape a fire safely.
Who is My Fire Department?
Most emergency dispatch centers have a emergency number, 9-1-1, and a local non-emergency number. If you are not sure who your local fire department is, contact your dispatch center at their non-emergency number or look in the telephone book for your local fire department. If you ever have a question about fire safety, don't hesitate to call your local fire department and ask! If you live in The Township of Hamilton, your local fire department numbers are as follows:
Cologne Vol. Fire Co. ..................965-3320
Lauraldale Vol. Fire Co. ...............965-4639
Mays Landing Vol. Fire Co. .............625-1628
Mizpah Vol. Fire Co. ...................476-2898
Weymouth Vol. Fire Co. .................625-2944
The following is a list of areas that are patrolled by the Cologne Vol. Fire Dept. If you live in or around any of these following areas, Cologne is your local fire department: Hamilton Mall, Hamilton Commons,Consumer Square, Wal-Mart shopping center, Festival shopping center, Canals Liquor store, all areas behind Canals liquor on Mckey Ave, Woodlands, Hamilton Green, Harding Run I & II, Hamilton Walk, Cologne Gardens, and parts of the Black Horse Pike both East and West up to Atlantic Cape Community College and down to Toms Garden World.
How could I become a Firefighter?
Call your local fire department. If you live in or around the Cologne area, you may call the Cologne Vol. Fire Dept. at 965-3320 or show up any Wednesday night between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm at 2870 Cologne Ave. Mays Landing, NJ and speak with someone, or click onto the "Contact Us" page and leave a message. You can be male or female, young or old, but you should be healthy and willing to commit some of your time to your community. You are required to attend a Firefighter I training course in Egg Harbor Township, NJ at the Anthony "Tony" Canale Training Center. All training is provided by the Cologne Vol. Fire Dept. at no expense to you. You will also have in-house training with the department.
!!!REMEMBER!: If everyone stopped volunteering, and paid fire companies became a necessity, your tax dollars would go through the roof. Help Your Community to benefit yourself and others. VOLUNTEER TODAY!
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