Claresholm Fire Hall Hose Reel - Claresholm, Alberta
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T0SHEA
N 50° 01.169 W 113° 35.214
12U E 314690 N 5544003
The Claresholm Fire Hall No. 1 is approximately 600 metres west of Hwy. 2 on Hwy. 520/43rd Avenue.
Waymark Code: WMZ7JQ
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 09/23/2018
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Claresholm Fire Hall No. 1 was built in 1979. It is a simple 3 bay structure with white steel siding. There are 25 volunteers in the department including the fire chief. The Claresholm Fire Department celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. One of the interesting points about this fire hall is that it has a mini museum to the side of the bay doors featuring equipment used at the original fire hall, 1908 to 1928. On display is a warning siren, though we do not think it is functional.
Along with the chemical cart, of which one is also displayed here, the hose reel was an indispensable piece of apparatus for any fire department which had access to fire hydrants. Without those, a hose reel was pretty much useless, unless the department happened to have a steam or gasoline powered pumper with a water tank. Before fire departments had access to, or could afford, fire engines, the hand drawn hose reel was the "fire engine" to which they had to turn. Hose reels were also the centerpiece in relay races run during annual fairs and festivals. Teams of men would compete, each trying to pull their hose reel a certain distance, unreel its length of hose, get it hooked up and put water on an imaginary fire in the least amount of time.
