The Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company (BVFC) was started in 1934 by a small group of concerned citizens foreseeing the need for a local firehouse after too many structures burned to the ground. At that time, there was no fire suppression organization or water supply in the Town of Brookfield. When there was a fire, a call had to be made to Danbury and surrounding towns to send trucks and bring water. By the time they got there, it was usually too late for the building.
The group incorporated in 1936 as the “Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.” as a non-profit organization. They raised startup money, obtained an abandoned hall and old tobacco barn on Whisconier Road converting it to a Firehouse, and bought a 1936 Ford fire truck. The Firefighters paid their own costs with their own money or donated funds because the taxpayers in the 1930’s could not afford a fire company and Town money was unavailable.
The Firefighters also raised the money to build the Fire Station at Brookfield Center in 1954 on a half-acre of donated land. The Company still owns this building and now runs the Ambulance service from this location.
An additional bay was added in 1957 when the Ambulance Service began and had purchased a used Buick for $2,000. Around twenty-five volunteers received training from area doctors and the American Red Cross.
It wasn’t until 1961 that the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company merged with South Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department and took title to the Firehouse on Federal Road. The Fire Company gained an additional 2 fire trucks and 22 volunteers. For several years both stations were active and known as Station A and Headquarters Company. The Station A building was sold in 1981 to help defray the construction costs on the new Pocono Road Firehouse station.
When the Fire Company outgrew this building and needed to expand into a new building, the Town of Brookfield made the land at 92 Pocono Road, which they owned, available for a new firehouse. The Fire Company paid the architect and engineers directly and the Town issued 20-year bonds for the construction costs which were paid back by the Fire Company.
The Firehouse opened its doors in 1991 establishing its new Headquarters. The 20,000 square-foot “state-of-the-art” 14 bay facility cost $1.8 million and replaced both the Station A Firehouse on Federal Road and the old Center Station Firehouse on the corner of Obtuse Hill and Whisconier Road. That year, the Fire Company responded to over 1,000 fire and ambulance calls.
The Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company that exists today is very different from when it was formed with its original 20 charter members… but its culture is still the same today as it was in 1934. Its 78 active members are still volunteers, following in the footsteps of hundreds of other volunteers before them… providing a high level of excellence and dedication in caring for the community… giving their time, skills and talents… 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year… never weary, never complaining, never judgmental… risking their lives… always feeling privileged and proud to serve and protect the community of Brookfield, Connecticut.