Station 4 - Catonsville

Station 4 serves Catonsville and the surrounding communities in Baltimore County, Maryland.

History

The original Catonsville Fire Station dates back to 1866; it was located at 22 Bloomsbury Ave. and is still in existence today.  The station was staffed with volunteers from 1886 through 1890. Apparatus consisted of a Holloway double chemical tank hook-and-ladder, horse-drawn wagon. 

At one time, Catonsville housed the Baltimore County Fire Department headquarters, as well as the original repair shop, located at the rear of the station.

A new station was built in 1928 at 756 Frederick Rd. and opened in November 1928. With the closing of the Bloomsbury station, Department  headquarters and the repair shop were relocated to Towson.

Fires

Significant incidents involving Station 4:

• 1918 -- A multi-alarm fire destroyed the Dickey Mill in Oella.
• 1955 -- On February 7, Capt. William Miller and Fireman Carl Dill lost their lives battling a fire in the 5500 block of Edmondson Ave. They were the first paid firemen in Baltimore County killed in the line of duty. The blackened walls from the flames are still visible in the basement of the building.
• Just two hours into 1958, Catonsville experienced two multi-alarm fires within minutes of each other: a three-alarm fire at a motor company on Frederick Road and a three-alarm fire at Spring Grove State Hospital.
• 1987-- The Rolling Road Country Club was destroyed by fire.
• 2003 -- A four-alarm fire destroyed Simpkins Industries in Oella.

 Apparatus

The following is a list of apparatus historically assigned to Station 4:

• 1895 -- Holloway hose wagon
• 1911 -- 1^st motorized pumper, American LaFrance 700 gpm pumper  (Engine 5)
• 1919 -- 2^nd pumper placed in service. (Engine 4)
• 1920 -- Packard chemical and hose engine.
• 1931--American LaFrance 1000 gpm pumper
• 1938 -- Engine 4 replaced with an American LaFrance “Invader” 750 gpm pumper
• 1944 -- 2nd pumper, Engine 41, assigned, a Seagrave 750 pumper. Engine 3 moved to Woodlawn.
• 1942 -- Catonsville received its first ambulance on April 23.
• 1947 -- Engine 4 replaced with a Seagrave 750 gpm pumper.
• 1954 -- Engine 41 replaced with a 1954 American LaFrance 750 gpm pumper
• 1955 -- Engine 4 replaced with an American LaFrance 750 gpm pumper.
• 1965 -- Engine 41 replaced with a Seagrave 750 gpm pumper.
• 1967-- Engine 4 replaced with a Mack C Model 750 gpm pumper.
• 1980 -- Engine 41 replaced with an Oren 1250 gpm pumper/50’ Reading Techmatic (boom).
• 1988 -- Engine 4 replaced with an E-One 1250 gpm pumper
• 1995 -- Engine 41 replaced with a freightliner 1000 gpm pumper
• 2002 -- Engine 4 replaced with an American LaFrance 1250 gpm pumper

Apparatus

Revised May 10, 2007