History of the
Bon Air Fire Company

    In the Spring of 1918, the Bon Air Fire Brigade was formed.

The first equipment consisted of two fire buckets for each of the

original 22 members.  A short time later two hand drawn fifty gallon

soda acid tanks were obtained. The equipment  was housed at two separate

locations, one on Bon Air Avenue west of Eagle Road and the other at

Forest and Fairview Avenues.   In 1923 a one acre piece of land was donated 

to the  Fire brigade by member Eliot Buton. This is the lot that we still 

use today.  The following year George Shadel donated a building that was 

moved to the lot on Royal Avenue and was used as the first engine house.

         In November of 1924, a Ford truck chassis was purchased and

the two fifty gallon soda acid tanks were mounted on the chassis. This was

the first motorized equipment of the Fire  Company.  Early in 1925, three

electric sirens were installed to replaced the existing alarm system  which 

was a cast iron bell. These sirens where strategically placed through out 

the Bon Air District. The sirens were individually controlled and the 

general location of the fire was indicated by which siren was sounded. In 

1935 these sirens were replaced by the trademark Bon Air air horn.

    In February of 1932, the company purchased their first pumper. This

Truck, a 1932 Brockway would replace the Ford soda/acid truck.

    In 1943 a white truck was purchases. This truck was used as a hose 

hauler until the company could afford to pay for the conversion into a 

pumper. In 1946 the White was converted.

    After World War Two, Haverford Township instituted a program to provide 

each of the five companies in the Township with a new truck. A 1949 American 

La-France was purchases for Bon Air.

    In 1954 a fund drive was started to replace the aging Brockway truck. 

The replacement for the Brockway was a new 1955 International Pirsh Pumper.

    In 1960 another American La France Pumper was purchased by the township 

for Bon Air giving Bon Air a total of two full sized pumpers. The White 

pumper was then retired and a International rescue truck was purchased used 

from the City of Philadelphia. This was our first rescue truck.

   In 1971, Haverford Township purchased another American La-France pumper 

for us replacing the aging 1949 La-France. Later that year a 1971 Ford 

Rescue truck was purchased, replacing the International Rescue truck. This 

new rescue was outfitted with an air cascade system for filling the air 

bottles used for breathing by volunteers. This was used to better serve our 

and surrounding communities.

   In 1979, a Ford Seagrave 1000 GPM pumper arrived to replace the 1960 

American La-France pumper.In 1982 the 1955 International Pirsch was updated 

and refinished by the members of the fire company. In 1987, the Rescue was 

re-chassied. The  body underwent a face lift also. In 1989, the 1971 

American La-France was replaced by the township with a 1989 Pierce Dash 1250 

GPM pumper. In late 1993 a 1989 Ford Rescue was purchased to back up the 

other rescue.  In 1995  Bon Accepted the Delivery of the Second Pierce 

engine.