Sutton Fire Company, No. 2, ca. 1891 (Dan Keleher Collection)

Fire Department¹

Before 1885 there was no fire department in the Town of Canton, but rather, there were groups of volunteers that contain any fires that occured and patrolled the town in three companies that were divided into the regions of Ponkapoag, Canton Center, and South Canton that suffered from inconcistent staffing for most of the 19th century. Edward Murphy came to the town in 1875 and joined the South Canton Firehouse where he advocated for the formation of a formal fire department, which was formed in 1885. The next year the Central Fire House was built, while the Ponkapoag Station House was located at 1403 Washington Street. In the late 19th century the fire department's budget was $2,000-$3,000 with most of the funds disbursed to firemen and the rental of horses and with the establishment of the water department in 1888-1889 the fire department was no longer dependent upon ponds, rivers/streams, or water tanks that were often brought to the fire as the streets were now lined with fire hydrants. In 1894 a fire alarm system was established, replacing the ringing of church bells to announce that a fire had broken out. In 1891 a Chief of the fire board was appointed in the person of John Williams who held the position until 1892 when he was replaced by Fred Drake who was chief of the board from 1892 through 1917.

In 1916 the town hired its first two permament fire fighters, Joseph J. Powers and Cornelius J. Healy at the salary of $75 a month. By 1941 the cost of running the department was $16,000 and in the succeeding years there was a manpower shortage as many joined the military. In 19611 the Board of Fire Engineers was abolished as a full-time fire chief was appointed in the person of John  E. "Elmer" Farrington. In 1964 the Ponkapoag Fire Station was rebuilt  at a cost of $160,000 and with the continued expansion of the department its operating budget was $235,000 by 1967. In 1974 the department moved into headquarters, it shared with the Police Department  abadoning the Central Fire Station (on Bolivar Street) and by 1979 most firemen were E.M.T. certified. In 1982 the operated budget for the department reached $1 million.

Fire Chiefs² 

Resources^{1and 2}

Canton Comes of Age, 1797-1997,102-106 by Canton’s Bicentennial Committee, 171-182.

Canton Fire Department, "About Us," http://cantonfirefighters1580.com/aboutus.aspx.

"Canton Fire Chief Ronayne: In his own words," Canton Journal August 6, 2009, http://www.wickedlocal.com/canton/town_info/government/x1558728995/Canton-Fire-Chief-Ronayne-In-his-own-words. 

Judith Forman, "Chief Hangs Up His Hat" James Fitzpatrick Is Retiring After 43 Years With Fire Department," Boston Globe September 27, 2001, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8667126.html.  

Candace Hall, "Doody Named Fire Chief," Canton Journal October 22, 2009, http://www.wickedlocal.com/canton/town_info/government/x1136017599/Doody-named-fire-chief.