Dobsonville Fire Protection – 2nd to None!
In the series of articles inspired by The Chief Maguda Collection, this month we will be spotlighting The Dobsonville Company of the former Vernon Fire District. This is now home to ET-241 of the Town of Vernon Fire Department in its present location on Birch St.
In 1943, Company 2 of the Vernon Fire District was formed in the Dobsonville section of rural Vernon, named after millwright Peter Dobson. Mr. Dobson owned mills in that section of town in the 19th Century specializing in cotton weaving. Company #2 would be the second company formed in town to protect the southwest area of Vernon. The Vernon Fire District would be merged in 1980, with The Rockville Fire Department becoming The Town of Vernon Fire Department as we know it today.
Company 2’s first station would operate out of a former school house on Hartford Tpke. with several cramped bays for apparatus. This station once stood where the current parking lot to the east of Key Bank Stands, directly across the street from Old Dobson Rd. This station, prior to being decommissioned and replaced, held a 1965 Mack C series 500 gallon pumper, a brush truck, a Cadillac ambulance and the “duck boat” for a brief time. The “duck boat” was a former civil defense boat that was able to drive from land into the water for rescues that was acquired as government surplus. This boat was then relocated, and rehabilitated by Company 3 in Talcottville.
As the community grew and apparatus became larger in size, it became apparent that a new fire station for Company 2 was well- needed and overdue. The former school building where company meetings took place had no heat, a dirt floor for a basement, sections of the ceiling were collapsing due to water intrusion, it was outfitted with old broken furniture, and to access the restroom in the apparatus bay, the rig had to be pulled out, among a laundry list of other issues.
Stations 1 and 3, had received new stations in the 1960’s, but Company 2 still operated out of their original quarters for 38 years prior to its current location. Company 2 members expressed concern to the town administration that a new fire station was desperately needed. Members of Company 2 sought to make the public aware of the antiquated conditions they were working under. The company members, following the idea brought to life from District Chief William Graugard’s wife, Donna, began to gather signatures from local residents to show the town and department administration that this was a much-needed municipal project that could no longer be overlooked.
After much discussion, some opposition, and voting referendums, $375,000 was allocated by the Herbst administration to build a new fire station for Company 2 on Birch St., and Chief Maguda oversaw the project. At this time, the two departments had merged into The Town of Vernon Fire Dept. and modernizing the department with new facilities and new equipment was the priority. The new station was designed by Lawrence and Associates, built by Orlando Annulli & Sons, and would feature dual drive through apparatus bays and have all living quarters on a single level.
This is the only fire station currently in The Town of Vernon to have these amenities. This company is affectionately known as the Country Club due to its peaceful, rural location in town.
Prior to the new fire station being opened on Birch St. in 1981, I-84 was going through a major rehabilitation which included widening the highway significantly. The former bridge over the highway connecting Hartford Tpke to Washington St. was deemed insufficient and a new bridge was to be constructed. During this project, after the old bridge had been demolished in order to provide fire protection to the other side of the highway, Company 2 was quartered temporarily at the Connecticut Dept. of Transportation garage on Campbell Ave. while the new bridge was constructed. Fire Station 2 opened in June of 1981, under the command of District Chief William Graugard, and the former station was razed shortly after for continued state road, and highway improvements. Company 2’s 1965 Mack C series 500 gallon pumper was relocated, as well as the brush truck to the new station. As time went by, the 500 gallons of water in the Mack pumper was not deemed sufficient in that district due to the fact that much of Company 2’s first due area was without fire hydrants, as it remains today.
In order to solve that issue, Chief Maguda ordered a 1983 Hendrickson / Continental 2000 gallon pumper / tanker able to pump 1500 gallons per minute onto a fire. The paint scheme was returned to traditional red as the previous engine was painted white. This apparatus was built in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and designated ET-241, as it is today. This innovative approach was able to alleviate the issue of large areas without hydrants, and Company 2 operates to this day the largest water capacity on any apparatus in the Town of Vernon.
Today Company 2 operates a 2003 American LaFrance 1500 gpm 2000 gallon pumper, a UTV for rescuing injured parties on the rail trail between Manchester and Bolton, and a Mass Decontamination Unit out of its quarters. In 2025, Company 2 will see its well-worn American LaFrance pumper / tanker replaced by a 2025 Pierce 2500 gallon pumper / tanker built in Appleton, Wisconsin.
In 2024, Company 2, under the leadership of twenty-three-year veteran member, Captain Jon-Paul Lucas, Lieutenants Todd Cascario and Connor Raymond, and a host of dedicated members, responded to 381 calls for service. This company was the busiest in town for the second year in a row responding to building fires, motor vehicle accidents, trail rescues, fire alarms, EMS assists, and to the busy I-84 corridor. With the same vision that the founding members had in 1943, it continues with this company as they move into the future with dedication, professionalism and pride in the duties performed in a moment’s notice in an ever-changing community. As the front of their rig says, 2nd to None!
A Sincere Thank You to Ret. Chief of Department Bill Call, Ret. Captain and former District Chief William Graugard, ET-241 and Ret. F.F./Engineer Scott Lent, ET-241 for providing me with this information to make this article possible. Thank you to Asst. Chief Robert Babcock for the idea to cover Company #2 for our historical installment.
