| Fire Companies in the Early Years Local volunteers founded the Ashland Fire Company in early 1911 on Alpha Avenue. When construction for the Ashland Station of the PATCO Speedline began in 1951, the Ashland Fire Company moved to Evesham Avenue, and later to Burnt Mill Road. In the early 1960s the Ashland Fire Department held popular Friday night dances, featuring nationally known entertainers. In 1916 the Kirkwood Volunteer Fire Company was born. Men pulled the fire wagon with long handles. Buckets hanging on the side were used to carry sand or water from the nearest stream. The firehouse at the intersection of Burnt Mill and Kirkwood roads became a social center holding dances and showing movies. In 1948 the Kresson section organized its first volunteer fire company. At first the truck, (donated by a car dealership) was kept in a gas station because there was no firehouse. Land for a firehouse on Route 73 was donated by one of the members of the fire company who lived nearby. The firemen and women’s auxiliary raised money for building materials and fire-fighting equipment. It moved to Cooper Road near Kresson-Gibbsboro Road in 1979. Voorhees Fire Company Number Four was incorporated in 1973, and was located on the southern end of Route 561. One Voorhees Fire Company In their early days fire companies were far more than equipment and fire fighters. The stations offered residents in the section of town they served a place to gather, socialize and celebrate. But this changed as the town grew. By the 1990s Voorhees was on its way to becoming one in spirit as well as name, not separate communities in one town. The fire companies followed suit. Voorhees No. 4 merged with Kresson Fire Company in 1992. With consolidation of the remaining three companies into one department in 1995, the Ashland and Voorhees No. 4 buildings were sold. The unified fire department now operates out of two stations, West Side Station 2 (formerly Kirkwood) and East Side Station 3 (formerly Kresson). Ambulance Squad Until 1967 Voorhees residents called Cherry Hill, Gibbsboro, Berlin and Marlton ambulance squads in emergencies. In February of that year twelve volunteers met in the Kirkwood Library to form the Voorhees Ambulance Squad. Volunteers went door to door for donations and area businesses gave blankets and other supplies. The first ambulance was a 1950 Packard donated by the Glendora Ambulance Squad. It was first kept in the driveway of the volunteer on duty. Later ambulances were housed in the Ashland Fire Station and a garage behind the police station on Route 561. In 1990 the squad’s two ambulances were moved to fire houses. By 1998 four ambulances were housed in two fire stations. Back Home Provided by: http://voorhees-nj.com/ Voorhees Township 620 Berlin Rd Voorhees NJ, 08043 Phone: (856) 429-7757 Fax: (856)216-7623 © 2005 Voorhees Township. All Rights Reserved. |
| Voorhees Fire History |