A History of the Hopatcong Fire Department

The Hopatcong Fire Department began in 1923 and was Hopatcong Fire Department Co. 1.

It was formed by a group of men who were predominantly the few year-round residents of the relatively new borough. (One such resident is still alive and the last surviving member of Company 1.)

Due to the great distance and the need to have a firetruck on scene within five minutes of an incident, a second company—Northwood Engine Co. 2—was founded by the Northwood Community Association in 1926. Fred Modick, a longtime resident, recommended a third company be formed and place in what we know as the center of town (which, geographically, was an incorrect statement), the department members did not feel the same.

When Modick became Mayor though he authorized the forming of a 3rd fire company in Defiance of what the rest of the department members thought at the time. Thus Defiance Engine Co. 3 came to exist.

A short time after this the numbers and membership of the original Co. 1 began to dwindle due to the existence of Co. 3. Eventually they would exist only in a certificate of incorporation that was held in the County Clerks Office.

In 1953 when many had begun turning their weekend cabins into year-round homes within what was known as the Hills section of Hopatcong, it was decided that without three companies the Hopatcong Hills Fire and Rescue Co. 4 was formed. While the Companies are labeled up to #4, only three continue to operate, with Co. 2 being the longest continually operating fire company in the borough and one of the two original fire companies.

The Department has one Chief and two Assistant Chiefs. The individual fire companies each have their own Command Structure including Captain's and Lieutenants.

Each firehouse has a unique function and location that makes them essential to the adequate fire protection of our borough.

• Northwood Engine Co. 2 is an Engine Co. that is strategically located and trained to handle water supply during many of the fire emergencies due to the fact that it has some of the most narrow roads in the borough and has ZERO fire Hydrants in its section which makes being able to get water from the Lake, Ponds, or utilizing the mutual assistance of Co. 4's tanker tantamount to being able to safely and effectively extinguish fires in that section of town.
• Defiance Engine Co. 3 is strategically located with it's Quint (a ladder with a pump) to handle many of the high structures and commercial frontage within it's section. Due to the fact that a ladder must have it's own designated water source separate of any other apparatus on the scene of an incident a second engine style apparatus is housed there to assist the Quint in it's operations. Such structures as all of the Schools are contained within the Co. 3 response area and pose some of the largest life safety risks within the borough.
• Hopatcong Hills Fire and Rescue #4 is key to not only firefighting with the Hills section due to the capability of it's 4x4 apparatus Engine 153, but they also handle the Department's Tanker Response needs and Rescue needs specifically where individuals are trapped in situations or motor vehicles after an incident. Their manpower is well trained to promptly and effectively remove individuals who have become trapped in a motor vehicle due to an auto accident.

Our Department would not be able to respond as quickly or effectively without the Assistance of our Police Department and Ambulance Squad who quickly provide an initial size up and also set-up a Firefighter Rehab Unit on our major scenes.

Hopatcong Fire Department is also proud that due to it's level of volunteerism, we save borough residents several million a year in wages in these tough economic times. There is no bigger bang for your buck than a volunteer fire department. Our annual operating budget to maintain and operate 3 buildings, 12 pieces of apparatus, equip and train 80-plus firefighters equals less than 3 cents a day per resident—far less than each resident pays for a cup of coffee each morning before they go to work.

In order to get some things that are necessary to the firefighters you will often see Firefighters canvassing there neighborhoods, holding road drives, or doing special events for each individual fire company.

With an 80-plus member strong department our members answer approximately 250 to 300 calls a year ranging from Activated CO2 alarms, car accidents, structure fires, and mutual aid calls. During this year's Hurricane and State of Emergency the department responded to over 100 calls of public assistance during the storm alone. Hopatcong Fire Department is one of the highest responding Fire Departments in Sussex County.

Sussex County bears the distinction of being one of the few counties in NJ that has 100% volunteer Fire Departments. While we have 80-plus members, the department is a far cry from it's full roster potential of 120 persons allowed and volunteers are always encouraged to become a part of this unique volunteer profession dating back to when Benjamin Franklin formed the first volunteer fire department in the Colonies. Our members range from persons with less than a year of active service to several with more than 50 years of service.