In 1884, G. Saxton, C.H. Corbett, and W.E. Green were appointed by the citizens of Sherman to solicit subscriptions to purchase a first-class fire engine, hose cart and 650 feet of fire hose from Fredonia.
After the equipment had been purchased, the Sherman Fire Company No. 1 was formed with 33 members. Officers were Corbett, foreman; A.G. Saxton, fire assistant; F.L. Dutton, second assistant; T.J. Newell, secretary; and G.W. Strong, treasurer. A committee headed by B.F. Coffin, was appointed to assist the firemen and to build water reservoirs. The fire department's engine was a double-handled hand pumper and hose cart which was housed in a building on Main Street which had an overhead bell.
Other fire companies formed in the village were the C.H. Corbett Co., formed in 1891 and the Corbett Hose Co., formed in 1897. In the early 1900s, the village had three fire companies - Corbett Hose Co., The Alerts and Citizens Hook and Ladder. Competition ran high among the three companies to see which could get to the fire scene first. In 1924, the three companies consolidated to form the Sherman Fire Department.
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In 1946, the firemen noted the need for extra money for fire services and started fundraising activities. Money raised through these efforts made it possible for the department to improve fire protection without added tax burden. To allow for fundraising efforts, the Stanley Hose Co. was incorporated as a part of the Sherman Fire Department and was named in honor of Frank Stanley Jr. who was killed in World War II. Members of the Stanley Hose Co. are also members of the Sherman Fire Department.
The Stanley Hose Co. actually operates the Sherman Fire Department with the village of Sherman as its governing body as far as signing fire protection contracts with the towns of Sherman, Westfield and Chautauqua. The village owns and maintains a pumper and pays rent to the Stanley Hose Co. to house the pumper in the fire hall. All the remaining fire and emergency equipment and fire hall are owned by the Stanley Hose Co.
The Stanley Hose Company is an all volunteer fire department with 45 active members. The Stanley Hose Company serves the village of Sherman and the surrounding towns of Sherman, Chautauqua and Westfield, covering 76 square miles.
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MEMBERS
Maury Alday, Randy Boland, Bill Brosius, Dave Brown, Keith Cady, Kyle Chimera, Brett Cook, Dennis Courtney, Mike Courtney, Lane Chase, Ben Crane, Bob Crane, Doug Crane, Jim Croscut, Dave Damcott, Daryl Damcott, Tim Deland, Bill Delcamp, Larry Fardink, Joel Fisher, Tim Fisher, Jan Freligh, Fred Gable Jr., Fred Gable III, Isaac Gratto, Jay Irwin, Rich Langer Sr., Rich Langer Jr., Doug Neal, Gerald Oehlbeck, Jared Oehlbeck, Matt Oehlbeck, Chris Ottaway, Dean Ottaway, Steve Persons, Morgan Reading, Ronnie Reed, Albert Robson, Tom Robson, Paul Sears, Dennis Sweatman, Randy Sweatman. Tom Sweatman, Adam Thorton, Mark VanVolkenburg
OFFICERS
Dr. David Brown, president
Doug Crane, vice president
Brett Cook, recording secretary
Joel Fisher, financial secretary
Tim Fisher, treasurer
Directors - Joel Fisher, Brett Cook, William Delcamp, Keith Cady, Fred Gable Jr.
Matt Oehlbeck, chief
Jared Oehlbeck, first assistant chief
Larry Fardink, second assistant chief
Jay Irwin, third assistant chief
Bob Crane, rescue captain
Tim Fisher, first assistant
Joel Fisher, second assistant
Jim Croscut, fire police captain
Tom Sweatman, first assistant
Maury Alday, second assistant
FUNDRAISING
1. November gun giveaway,
2. January fund drive letter,
3. August chicken and rib barbecue
EMS LEVEL?OF?CARE PROVIDED
ALS Transport Ambulance and ALS Equipped Intercept SUV
The department has two critical care EMTs and nine basic EMTs.
The department provides fire suppression, rescue and ALS ambulance services. Risks located in the Stanley Hose Company's protection area include a business district, an interstate highway, village, town, county and state highway facilities, a waste water treatment plant and a village drinking water reservoir. Furthermore, the department protects a kindergarten through 12th grade school, four churches, a senior citizens housing complex, four lumber mills, numerous farms, a cattle feed mill, a waste transfer station, a 26 inch natural gas transmission pipeline and state forest lands. There are 2,267 residents in its primary response area.
The Stanley Hose Co. averages 280 calls per year.