Prior to 1880 there was a fire brigade in the village of Baldwin (aka Steelton). Not very much is known about this fire brigade, I am still looking for more history. In 1880 the Borough of Steelton was founded. In 1882 the residents decided that they needed an organized fire department to protect the town and steel foundry that was growing very rapidly.

February 8, 1882 the first fire protection meeting was held and the Citizen’s Hose Company #1 was founded and provided the only fire protection to the new Borough until 1888.

September 15, 1888 a meeting was held in council chambers to organize a second company. This lead to the founding of the Paxtang Hook and Ladder Company #2. This lead to the purchase of the boroughs first aerial apparatus.

February 8,1898 the West Side Hose Company #3 was organized. This company purchased and received its first apparatus on May 9, 1898 when Borough Council purchased it from the Citizen’s Fire Company #1 of Harrisburg. With all of the fire companies protecting the “north” end of town the citizens of the lower end decided that they need fire protection as well.

July 1, 1900 a meeting was held and the Baldwin Hose Company #4 was organized. The meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Barbara Toomey who also agreed to allow the company to house their apparatus in her stable until a new firehouse could be built. This in turn lead to Mrs. Toomey being the first female member of a fire company in the borough of Steelton, even though she was only an honorary member, she was well ahead of the times.

October 14, 1904 a meeting was held and the Hygienic Hose Company #5 was organized. This company protected the citizens on the “Hill” section of Steelton (Above Harrisburg Street). With 5 companies running to fires in the Borough the citizens of the east end decided that it was a very long wait for any fire apparatus to arrive in their area.

May 29, 1907 the East End Hose Company #6 was organized. This now gave the Borough of Steelton 6 individual fire companies all under the name of the Steelton Fire Department and all under the command of a Borough Council appointed Fire Chief.

Through the years some of the companies began to die off. The Paxtang Hook and Ladder, Hygienic, and East End all stopped actively responding to calls prior to 1983. With the decline of the condition of the fire houses and the costs of up keep on 3 stations, the Borough decided that they would build one large centrally located station and all of the companies would merge into the “Steelton Fire Department”.

In 1984 the new station was completed and the remainder of the Borough’s fire companies merged.

Milt Carnes, Former Battalion Chief of the Steelton Fire Department.