Since 1934...
The Town of Somers came into existance in 1843. The small town, made up primarily of farms, was without any sort of formalized fire protection. In 1934, a home in Somers burned to the ground, and group of concerned citizens met and formed the organization known as Somers Volunteer Fire Department. Since 1934, many changes has happened to the Somers Fire Department. The original fire station, located on Highway E in the Town of Somers which is now the American Legion, was a former Chevrolet Garage that housed the fire apparatus. The current fire station number one adjacent with the Somers Town Hall was built in 1968. The original fire station was sold to the American Legion. In 1975, station number two was built on Highway E near Sheridan (Highway 32).
In 1977, the Somers Rescue Squad was formed. Rescue squads were housed at station number one. On January 1, 1978, at one o'clock in the morning, Somers recorded the first fatal accident in Wisconsin for the year at the corner of 22nd Avenue and Highway A.
Times changed, and and the Volunteer organizations needed to change with the times. For years, the Town of Somers Fire Department and the two volunteer organizations, Somers Volunteer Fire Department and Somers Rescue Squad, had been separate but closely related organizations. Then the two volunteer organizations joined to become Somers Fire and Rescue Association in January of 2006, and the organization became more a support organization for the Town of Somers Fire and Rescue Department, and less involved with the Fire Department operations.
The Fire Apparatus
In 1934, Somers Fire Department purchased its first fire engine - a 1934 Dodge Brothers, manufactured by the Peter Pirsch Company located in the neighboring City of Kenosha, Wisconsin. This engine is currently on display at the Kenosha Transportation Museum, and is still in operating condition. The Dodge Brothers
1935 saw the first tanker - a 1935 Chevrolet chassis outfitted by Peter Pirsch Company. This vehicle was involved in a rollover accident while responding to a fire call, the accident of which killed several volunteers of the fire department.
A second tanker was purchased in 1949, a Pirsch International. When it was retired, it was sold to a local farmer for use as a farm truck. 1949 PirschTanker
A 1955 Pirsch pumper was purchased new from the Peter Pirsch Company. 1955 Pirsch Engine
1965 brought a new grass rig from Pirsch to the Department's roster, a 1965 International. 1965 Pirsch Grass Rig
The last new front line engine purchased from the Pirsch Company was a 1972 pumper. The 1000 gpm pumper remained in service with Somers until 1998, when replaced by a 1998 Pierce. 1972 Pirsch Engine
The 1974 International Tanker, new in 1974, replaced the 1935 Chevrolet tanker. 1974 Pirsch Tanker
When Somers fire station number two was built in 1975, Somers Fire Department was in need for another engine. A 1954 Pirsch, similar in appearance to the 1955 Pirsch Somers purchased new, was secured from the City of Kenosha for $2000.00, the deal sealed with a handshake between the then two Chiefs: Chief Ernest "Bunky" Tabbert from Somers and Chief Frank Blasi from Kenosha. 1954 Pirsch Engine
1975 also brought a 85 foot quint ladder, manufactured by Pirsch to Somers. Somers Fire Department's first ladder truck was necessitated by the presence of University of Wisconsin Parkside located in Somers. The ladder was retired in 2006 due to age and reliability, and though an aerial was still needed, it was not replaced by the Town of Somers. 6331
6362, a GMC Pirsch Tanker purchased new in 1981. This was the last Pirsch piece of apparatus purchased by Somers, and remains in service with Somers. 6362
1985 brought the first Pierce engine to Somers, 6313. It replaced the aging 1954 Pirsch, which was sold to a fire Department in Georgia whose front line engine was a 1935. 6313
In 1990, two additional Pierce pieces of apparatus were purchased: unit 6312, a 1250 gpm pumper to replace the 1955 Pirsch, and a 1990 GMC grass rig to replace the 1965 Internationl Pirsch grass rig. 6312
6311 was the third Pierce engine purchased by Somers, a 1250 gpm pumper. Purchased new in 1998, it replaced the 1972 Pirsch pumper. The 1972 Pirsch engine was sold by a raffle held in 1998, the winner of the ticket donating the 1972 engine to the Park Falls Fire Department, Park Falls, WI. 6311
The 1974 Pirsch International tanker was replaced in 2003 by yet another Pierce product: a 2003 Pierce International Tanker. The 1974 was sold to a fire department in northern Wisconsin. 6361
The first Chief's car was purchased for Somers in 2003. A 2003 Chevrolet 2500HD pickup was the vehicle of choice. 6399
A Special Rescue Teams (SRT), comand, rehab response vehicle was made in 2008 from a former Somers Rescue Squad ambulance, a 1995 Ford/Medtec. 6351
In July, 2009, just before the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Somers Fire Department, the 1990 GMC grass rig chassis was replaced with a new 2008 Dodge Chassis. This new chassis had the old grass rig body installed, with updated electronics and equipment. 6373
