Quakertown Fire Co. No. 1

At the business meeting on July 7th, 2008, exempt member and past chief Paul Schultz brought two items of historical significance to the meeting and presented them to the company.

The first item is a medallion from the first annual convention of the Firemen’s Association of Bucks County, now better known as the Bucks County Firemen’s Parade, held in Quakertown on June 12th and 13th, 1914. Quakertown Fire Company No. 1 most recently hosted this parade, the 88th of its kind, on June 10th, 2006 in celebration of 100 years of incorporation.

The second item is a rubber stamp bearing the name “Good Will Social Club.” The Good Will Social Club, affectionately known as “The Gluepot,” was a social club owned and operated by the company until the 60s. The club was located along Third Street where the shopping center is now located.

Paul Schultz provided over 35 years of active service to Quakertown Fire Company No. 1 and served as chief of the Quakertown Fire Department.

Quakertown Fire Department hosted the traditional Water Battles at Quakertown Borough’s annual Community Day, held in Memorial Park on July 4th.

The Water Battles are a series of competitions between local fire companies in which teams of four firefighters from each company compete to push the rocket – a sliding target suspended on a wire between two telephone poles – to the opposing team’s telephone pole. The team that hits the opposite pole with the target wins the round. Rounds are 90 seconds long; if neither team can hit the opposing pole within those 90 seconds, the round is awarded to the team whose side the rocket is not on.

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The companies that participated were Quakertown Fire Company No. 1, West End Fire Company No. 2 of Quakertown, Richlandtown Fire Company, Haycock Fire Company, Trumbauersville Fire Company, Milford Fire Company, Richland Township Fire and Rescue, and Coopersburg Fire Company.

Three teams of junior firefighters competed against each other as well.  The teams were from Quakertown Fire Company No. 1, West End Fire Company No. 2, and Trumbauersville Fire Company.

Quakertown Fire Company No. 1 took second place in the senior competition, with West End Fire Company taking first place.  Quakertown Fire Company No. 1 took first place in the junior competition, with West End taking second place.