On November 5, 1953 the residents of Charlotte Drive, Edgewood Terrace and Branchburg Park held a meeting for the purpose of organizing a volunteer fire company. At the group's second meeting on November 12, 1953, the name selected for the fire company was the Milltowne Volunteer Fire Company. At the third organizational meeting on December 3, 1953, the company was officially changed to Country Hills Volunteer Fire Company. At the December 17, 1953 meeting the officers for 1954 were elected including the company's first chief. Frank Colailo. The Certificate of Incorporation was recorded by Arthur Tuttle on January 5, 1954 at 9:13 am.
In January of 1954, the company purchased a1931 American La France 750 GPM Pumper, with a 400 gallon tank, from Union Hook and Ladder Company of Far Hills for $950. This truck was put into service on April 1, 1954. In April 1954, the company responded to the first call with 27 men. This was a field fire where Fisher Scientific now stands on US Highway 202.
By the summer of 1954, the company had erected a temporary fire house on land owned by Leon Concord on US Highway 202 (Charlotte Drive) On February 17, 1956, Frederick Meyer donated a 200 foot by 200 foot parcel for land located at the intersection of Milltown Rd. and Frelinghuysen Ave. (presently where station 1 stands).
There were some significant developments in 1991; the first was an agreement with Ankon Construction Co., Inc. to build the company's station #2. The ground breaking took place on September 15, 1991.
The Chiefs of Country Hills Volunteer Fire Company
11/1953 - 01/1954 -----------------> Frank Colalilo, (1st Chief of CHVFD) 02/1954 -1955 ---------------------> Adolph Schillberg 1956 - 1957 -----------------------> Harry Naismyth 1958 - 1959 -----------------------> Leon Conord 1960 - 1961 -----------------------> Jason VanAmburgh Sr. 1962 - 1963 -----------------------> Robert O'Rourke 1964 - 1965 -----------------------> Edward Alvaro 1966 - 1967 -----------------------> Robert Waechter 1968 ------------------------------> Antonio Lubrano 1969 - 1970 -----------------------> Harry Hall 1971 ------------------------------> Irv Bennett 1972 - 1974 -----------------------> William Sullivan 1975 - 1977 -----------------------> Doug Rue 1978 ------------------------------> William Sullivan 1979 - 1981 -----------------------> Herb Randolph 1982 - 1983 -----------------------> Doug Rue 1984 - 1986 -----------------------> Anthony Ranallo 1987 - 1989 -----------------------> Tom O'Keefe 1990 - 1992 -----------------------> Doug Rue 1993 ------------------------------> Brian Zack 1994 - 1995 -----------------------> Tom O'Keefe 1996 - 1998 -----------------------> Richard Larsen 1999 - 2000 -----------------------> Herb Randolph 2001 - 2002 -----------------------> Tom O'Keefe 2003 - 2005 -----------------------> Doug Rue 2006 ------------------------------> Ben Cialone 2007 ------------------------------> Herb Randolph 2008 ------------------------------> Kevin Bockus 2009 - Present --------------------> Doug Rue
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The Presidents of Country Hills Volunteer Fire Company
11/1953 - 05/1954 -----------> George Walsh, (1st President of CHVFD) 06/1954 - 12/1954 -----------> Hermes Grant 1955 ------------------------> George Seymour 1956 ------------------------> Albert Reed 1957 ------------------------> Thomas Pascale Jr. 1958 - 1963 -----------------> Donald Ross Jr. 1964 - 1966 -----------------> Adolph Schillberg 1967 - 1968 -----------------> Edward Alvaro 1969 ------------------------> William Long Jr. 1970 ------------------------> Edward Alvaro 1971 - 1977 -----------------> Michael Hovan 1978 - 1980 -----------------> Doug Rue 1981 - 1983 -----------------> Michael Hovan 1984 - 1986 -----------------> Tom O'Keefe 1987 - 1988 -----------------> Rob Saydek 1989 - 1992 -----------------> Carl Knight 1993 - 1995 -----------------> Rob Hanlon 1996 - 1997 -----------------> Mike Szymanski 01/1998-06/1998 ------------> Scott McAloon 08/1998-12/1998 ------------> Ben Cialone 1999 - 2001 -----------------> Steven Salvo 2002 - 2003 -----------------> Herb Randolph 2004 - Present --------------> Tom O'Keefe
Year
Number of calls
Total of Man Hours
2000
253
7,713
2001
236
5,526
2002
261
5,126
2003
283
6,145
2004
275
6,945
2005
7,039
2006
317
7,465
2007
321
7,501
2008
344
7,409
2009
286
7,020
2010
Current Year