About us

Westmore Fireman's Association, Inc. History

In November of 2000, the idea of a fire department for Westmore was born. Now mind you, the idea had been around a long time with both winter and summer residents, but all the right people and connections had to be in the right place at the right time to pull off such an enormous undertaking.

To the Selectboard's credit, five years before the year 2001, they appointed Kimball Johnson as Fire Chief, to act as liaison between the town and area fire departments that serve Westmore, Kimball would also pull together the town disaster plans, assist with E-911 process and start working with the area ambulances and fire departments. During this time, Kimball started taking calls and eventually began training as a firefighter with Orleans Fire department. He also became certified as an Emergency Medical Techncian and joined the Orleans and Barton Ambulance services.

During this time Kimball saw a pattern of need. Emergency calls in Westmore were averaging 30-40 a year and he felt it important that Westmore start looking into its own fire department. In January 2001, with the help of Seth Rowell and Bob Eichler, they proposed to then Select board members Wayne French, David Stevens and Roy Perkins the idea of a Westmore Fire Dept. with excellent support from the board, an initial organizational meeting was scheduled for late January, and the Westmore Fireman's Association, Inc. was formed.

Since that January meeting, incorporation papers were filed, a 501(c) (3) IRS Federal recognition was requested and received and the organization took form. At 2001 March Town Meeting $50,000 was unanimously approved by the voters for a fire station. The original location on Route 5A was deemed unsuitable so it was decided to add the station to the existing town/state garages on Rt. 16.

Permits were needed, contractor bids requested and site work began in June of 2001. The building was mostly completed by late August and moved into by September 2001. In October 2001 Westmore Fire~Rescue officially began taking calls. After a $12,000 radio system was installed we began getting dispatched by the Vermont State Police in Derby.

Over the past year, Westmore Fire~Rescue has responded to several calls in town and many out of town helping fire departments like Orleans, Irasburg, Barton and Charleston. We have done extensive training and have a solid core group of volunteers that now number 16. Elected Fire Chief is Kimball Johnson, 1st Asst Chief is Seth Rowell, Secretary of WFA is Debra Watson and Treasurer is Penny Johnson. In February 2002 ,Westmore Fire~Rescue was officially recognized as a full fire department by a national fire department certification organization called ISO. Westmore Fire~Rescue has two refurbished working pumpers that we raised the funds for and renovated.

On August 11, 2002, a glorious sunny hot day an official dedication was held of the firehouse. An estimated 300 people attended with thirty fire departments from as far away as Newport , Beecher Falls and Nashua NH. The first ever "land parade" in Westmore went off without a hitch and the people of Westmore enjoyed fire department demonstrations, a barber shop quartet and a fly in by the life flight medical helicopter out of Dartmouth, NH known as DHART. A ribbon cutting was held and the day called a success.

In closing, it is important that the people of Westmore keep Westmore Fire~Rescue in their minds, especially during these early, formulative years. Westmore has been very generous with their donations to this cause but in the future we will still need those donations, morale support and people to actually join and help us with our mission which is "Neighbor Helping Neighbor".