celebrating
100 Years
of Service!
The Cherry City Volunteer Fire Company proudly celebrates its centennial year.
Herman Steigerwald sits behind the
wheel of the Moon automobile–
the Company’s first “motor-driven”
firetruck—in 1926.
Horse-drawn wagon, converted into
a hand-drawn wagon, purchased in
1920 from the West Etna VFD.
Firemen with a new
1957 FWD pumper, in front
of the original station.
F
BY NICOLE TAFE
or the last 100 years, the members of The Cherry City
Volunteer Fire Company have dedicated hundreds of
thousands of hours to the people it serves—training,
fighting fires and making rescues, fundraising and
being the nucleus of their small community.
The Cherry City Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. was organized
on October 6, 1919, with a roll of forty-one members. Cherry
City was the third volunteer fire company to be organized
in Shaler Township, following Undercliff VFC in 1909 and
Bauerstown VFD in 1912. Sharps Hill VFC was next in 1930,
followed by Elfinwild VFC in 1931, and finally, Shaler Villa VFC
in 1950.
What started out as just extinguishing home, brush and light
commercial fires in the district with not much more than a bucket
brigade, expanded over the last 100 years into Vehicle, Rope and
Swift Water Rescue, in addition to fighting fires. The company
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currently has three pieces
of fire apparatus with
the most up-to-date
equipment, along with a van to
transport personnel to a scene.
They are also equipped with
two AED’s to assist those having
heart issues, along with being
trained in first aid and other life-
saving procedures.
The company is comprised
of nearly 50 members—20 of
those are active firefighters, while
the rest are business members
Firemen with 1947
American LaFrance pumper,
in front of the original station.