Summer Event Preview
MV Public Safety History
By Pamela Baird MVHA President
Firefighting and public safety have been a concern for cities and towns for thousands of years . The widespread use of wood as a building material means that almost every building is a fire risk . Even buildings constructed of stone have ceiling supports or interior walls built with wood .
Major dramatic fires , such as the 1666 Great Fire of London and the 1871 Great Chicago Fire , destroyed large sections of the city , killed numerous people , left many residents homeless and businesses destroyed . Firefighters were stymied by the primitive methods of fighting fires .
Even Mountain View has had significant building fires . The Presbyterian Church , then located on the corner of Castro and Church streets , was destroyed in 1911 by a fire caused by an overheated stove pipe .
On March 18 , 1928 , an arsonist set fire to Saint Joseph ’ s Catholic Church , destroying the building . A six-alarm fire on October 24 , 1995 , swept through the Minton Lumber and Supply Company on Evelyn Street . The facility was nearly destroyed . Firefighters from nine agencies helped fight the fire .
This year the City of Mountain View Fire Department is celebrating 150 years of service . It is one of the oldest officially formed fire departments west of the Mississippi .
On April 1 , 1874 , the “ Mountain View Station Hook & Ladder Co . No . 1 ” was formed when 50 of the town ’ s civic minded residents gathered at the “ Rogers & Rogers ” Department Store . The organization was an all volunteer effort . In 1964 , the volunteer organization was disbanded , and the Mtn . View Fire Department ( MVFD ) became a professional paid organization . Today the MVFD operates five stations and has a paid staff of over 80 people .
Public safety has been a necessary part of civic life . Policing in what would become the United States of America arose from the law enforcement systems in European countries . Citizen volunteers , as well as watch groups , constables and sheriffs monitored the behavior of residents , watched for public intoxication , theft , gambling and acts of violence . In 1631 an early night watch group was formed in Boston . The first organized , publicly funded professional full-time police services were established in Boston in 1838 , New York in 1844 , and Philadelphia in 1854 .
The Mountain View Police Department ( MVPD ) was formed after the
Above : An MVPD traffic officer helps an elementary school class cross the 100 block of Castro Street in the early 1960s
MVFD 150th Anniversary Parade makes its way down Castro Street on May 19
city was incorporated in 1902 . For many years it consisted of a single officer . In 1909 , the first dedicated City Hall building was erected . It housed the police department and included a jail cell , in addition to city offices and the library . The original uniform was tan but was changed to dark blue in 1939 to distinguish the MVPD officers from the Naval officers stationed at nearby Moffett Air Station .
The first dedicated police station was built at 947 Villa Street in 1952 and originally housed an 11 man department . The upper floor also housed the Santa Clara North County courthouse . The courts were eventually relocated to the courthouse in Palo Alto and the top floor was repurposed as offices . By the time the MVPD relocated to the current station in 1980 , the department had grown to over 100 officers and support staff .
For a brief period in the early 1970s , the department drove Rambler patrol cars . Mountain View was one of the first agencies in the area to use canines . The dogs were bred in Germany and cost and astonishing $ 1,100 each at a time when a new home in Rex Manor cost $ 6,000 –$ 7,000 .
Today , the Police Department employs over 140 individuals in a variety of specialties , such as traffic control , crisis negotiation , canine services , and detective work . Other staff members work in various administrative functions .
Mountain View is fortunate to have two dedicated and professional service agencies that connect and protect our community . Learn more about their history at the MVHA August 4 ice cream social at the Community Center . See page 1 of the newsletter for details . We hope to see you there !
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