BEECHWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY
(1960's -1980's)
The 1960's
On March 16, 1969, after much discussion and deliberation, the department bought the former Sauter garage and used it for a firehouse. It is located on one acre of land at the Southeast intersection of County Highways A and S, in Section 16. The department bought a 1955 Chevrolet truck with a 1600-gallon tank. They also bought a used utility truck from the Kewaskum Fire Department.
The 1970's
The department received $3500 from the Town of Scott. In 1972, the siren button was placed in the Beechwood Rest Home. The nursing station provided the link in communication as well as testing the siren each noon. Radio pagers now alert firemen, and the siren is also used as a tornado alert. Final payment was also made on the new fire truck.
In 1973, the Senior Citizen organization was given free use of the fire hall. The hall was also rented for other community events and private parties. If an auxiliary were to be organized, it could also use the hall.
An Oktoberfest, complete with a greased-pig contest and spanferkel, was held as a fund raiser. In 1974, a tile floor was installed in the hall, and a new sign with 15-inch letters was put on the firehouse. In 1975, walkie-talkies were being considered. The Auxiliary had been organized by Virginia Benzschawel and Marjorie Krahn and had provided drapes, kitchen equipment, a floor scrubber, and eave-troughs for the hall.
In 1976, Oktoberfest was voted down. The June picnic games were turned over to the Auxiliary. The March 4th, 1976 meeting was cancelled due to an ice storm. The severity of that storm left much of the community without electric power for days until lines could be restored. The fire department, using the Beechwood Rest Home's electric generator, provided a warm community center in the fire hall. Heat, water, and donated food prepared by the Auxiliary were made available. Letters of commendation from the Town of Scott Board and General Telephone Company praised the department for this extraordinary community service.
In 1977, even while firemen were occupied with repair and maintenance of buildings and equipment, they also trained in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
In 1978, a committee composed of Frank Poos, Roger Vetter, Rick Vetter, Howard Matthias, Bob Hartmann, and LeRoy Muench recommended a $10,000 purchase of radios and pagers. That was the beginning of a rapid communication system without dependencies on someone to sound the siren button.
The 1980's
Major purchases were: ten sets of turnout gear (the coat, helmet, and boots worn by responding fireman) at $2150, a safe, and a camera. A new furnace and insulation were added to the firehouse. Eighteen firemen completed the CPR course (Frank Poos was the department training officer). Mod I class, a basic fire fighting class, was completed in April 1982. Mod II classes began in March 1983.
In June of 1986, the department asked the Town of Scott to underwrite a loan for the construction of a new firehouse, which was approved. An 84' x 48' Walters steel building was erected on the east side of Fireman's Park at a cost of $75,000. The building had five bays and was 2400 square feet larger than the previous firehouse, which was sold to the Beechwood Rest Home.
In November of 1989, it was decided to start a committee to research the cost of adding an addition on to the new station to be used for a meeting room and also to add a kitchen area for meals. The information was gathered and at the membership meeting in March of 1990, it was approved to build on to the station. A 30' x 48' addition was to be added on to the east end of the station for use as a meeting room.