Blazing Arrow Hook and Ladder

Blazing Arrow Hook & Ladder Company

The current Blazing Arrow Hook & Ladder is the successor to the original Friendship Hook and Ladder Co.   In January, 1882, the Friendship Hook &  Ladder Company was instituted with W. F. Conrad as president; E. F. wood, vice president, and W. F. Kolbenschlag, secretary. The Tyrone Iron Company donated a lot and with the generous aid of citizens and work of the president, they built at a cost of about $5000, a structure on the corner of 11th street and Blair avenue. It was a two story brick, with 40 feet frontage on the avenue and a depth of 60 feet. In this building which was dedicated June 20, 1893, though not yet entirely free from debt, they had a long room for storing apparatus, a kitchen, and a meeting room, while the second story was one large hall, adapted for public uses.  

In 1910, after several years of financial difficulties, the building was sold to the Tyrone Lodge of Red Men and all the firefighting equipment was turned over to the borough.  The next year, the Red Men, officially known as Blazing Arrow Tribe #406, was granted the authority to organize a new fire company.  The fire company was very active and outgrew it facilities very quickly, so a new building was constucted on its present site at 1216 Blair Avenue. 

The Blazing Arrow Hook & Ladder purchased its first "Ladder Truck" in the year 1928.  It was equipped with all ground ladders.  That piece was replaced with a 1957 American La France 75 Ft. aerial, then that aerial was replaced with a 1981 LTI 100 Ft. aerial. This aerial was replaced with the current 1998 Pierce 105 Ft. Aerial with a 2000 gpm pump.  Also currently housed and operating out of Station 33 is a 1992 Pierce QRS/Rescue Unit on a 4 wheel drive International chassis, a 1987 Pierce Engine with 2000 gpm pump and a 1967 Dodge Powerwagon Brush Truck.  Station 33 currently has 46 active firefighters.

This is a rare undated photo of former Hookies Engine 8. This engine was a 1958 Dodge Powerwagon. At this time,  it is unknown what size pump and tank were on this rig. The engine was retired in 1976 when the Hookies purchased a new mini-pumper built by Saulsbury on a 1976 Dodge Powerwagon with a 250 gpm pump and a 200 gal tank. The 1976 Powerwagon was retired and sold in 1992 when the current Rescue 33 was built to replace it as a combination unit.  There are not many photos around of the 1958 Powerwagon, so we would like to give a special thanks to former Chief 33, John Benn, for sending us this photo. John is still a Hookies member and currently runs with the Belleville Volunteer Fire Dept. in Mifflin County, PA.

The B.A.H.& L. Ladies Auxillary Drum Corps. - June 24, 1939

Look to the far right of the photo and you can actually see the front of the old Hookies Station on Blair Avenue. 

Thank you to Francis Hunter for sharing her photo with us.  She is also pictured in this photo!