Winter Park Fire Department

Bravely serving the community since 1900

According to the Winter Park Fire Department’s website, the department defines itself in this way:

"The WPFD is a multifaceted emergency response agency, which provides for the emergency and safety needs of our citizens. Our service is customer based and we are continually evaluating and redefining our services as the needs of our city change.”

Although originally developed under the shadow of Orlando’s fire services, Winter Park’s department grew in size and professionalism to become the modern independent fire service we are familiar with today. However, to fully understand how the WPFD evolved, we must first look back to its humble beginnings. There were many components that helped mold the department: fire chiefs, new inventions and innovations, as well as American culture itself.

The foundations were set in 1900 when Winter Park defined fire city limits. The city limits stretched from Lyman Avenue north to Canton Avenue and from New York Avenue east to Interlachen Avenue.

When Winter Park officially organized its own professional fire service separate from Orlando in 1913, the department (then consisting of volunteers) passed several buckets filled with water up and down a line to put out a fire. Consequently, to improve efficiency and make water more accessible, fire hydrants and mains were installed throughout the city within the same year. The fire service could now effectively utilize limited resources, using the city’s newly installed water mains and hydrants with their only equipment: two reels and 500 feet of hand pulled hose.

Fire codes and technological refinements helped strengthen the Winter Park Fire Department. For instance, in 1916 a motorized vehicle replaced the one-horse wagon. This upgrade allowed quicker response times to the Winter Park community. In the following years, transportation continued to advance: a Roe fire truck was purchased in 1921 and was equipped as a ‘pumper’. Additional examples of technological advancement within the fire department during the 1920s include the installation of six more hydrants. Further, the fire alarm tower, which was located in central Winter Park, was elevated twenty feet for a more defined signal.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects in the history of WPFD is that in April of 1926 the WPFD became an “official fire department”, despite being still manned by volunteers. They receiving $10 for every call they responded to. By the mid-1950’s the city of Winter Park established firefighting as a profession. At this point in history calls had reached $15 in consequence of an expanding city as well as fighting fires outside of city limits.

The first half of the twentieth century brought many changes in the WPFD. It was a time of much growth and evolution that could not have been accomplished without influential community members. Three such people were:

Girard Denning: Denning typified the devotion of the Winter Park Fire staff. A graduate of Rollins College, Denning was an active participant in the community, taking on a variety of duties and obligations. At various points in his life he filled the following roles: Grocer, mayor (elected the youngest mayor due to his popularity within the community), and between the years 1912 to 1914, was a distinguished fire chief. Additionally, he was a member of various organizations, such as: the town council, chamber of commerce, business men’s club, and the congregational church. For thirty years Denning served as a postmaster while continuing to support the WPFD.
Walter Sachse: Appointed as fire chief in 1918, Sachse demonstrated dedication during his thirty-four years of service. At the beginning of his time as chief, Sachse began with a few volunteers and one truck. Sachse’s goal was reorganizing the new fire department and its members. In the 1940s, his staff was severely minimized due to the outbreak of World War II, when several fire volunteers left to serve in armed forces. When his time as chief ended, he had a full time staff of seven men, three trucks, and a two-way radio system. Mrs. Sachse also contributed to the fire fighting organization as the President of Fire Auxiliary. Local firemen’s wives organized the Fire Auxiliary during the 1930’s.
James Quincy Smith: Before Smith joined the WPFD in 1932, he worked in an auto company garage in Winter Park. With his knowledge in auto mechanics, he began as an engineer for the fire department, driving the fire trucks and operating equipment. By 1949, Smith was a full-time, paid fireman. Smith spoke with enthusiasm about his time in the Fire Department, “I’ve always liked fire department work. There is a sense of civic responsibility, which gives firemen a quiet satisfaction.”
In 1934, 114 alarms were sounded/recorded, a result of a newly invested remote control alarm system. This advancement helped alert fire department members and shortened the time it would take to reach the fire. Modern innovations allow fully dressed firefighters to pull out of the station within one minute of the alarm sounding. For 90% of their calls they arrive within 8 minutes. Moreover present day fire engines can carry 750 gallons of water and are capable of pumping 1,750 gallons per minute- a far cry from the original horse drawn wagon.

Today, technological improvements in fire engines and equipment have helped shorten response times and have increased productivity. Winter Park has helped to design a new, $170,000 ambulance. The ambulance keeps paramedics secured with seatbelts while still within reach of the patient and medical equipment.

The fire department has not only become more efficient in emergencies, but also more involved in non-emergency local affairs. Through local parades, fund raising, and hosting birthday parties at the fire station, the WPFD serves the community and increases public fire safety awareness.

Currently, the WPFD serves approximately 27,000 people covering 8.6 square miles by fully paid and specially trained firemen at three different stations. Due to the influences of culture, technological advances, and community leaders, the WPFD has grown into the highly efficient, community-based union of hard workers. To think it all started with a few volunteers and their desire to serve and protect their community.

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This webpage is a result of the work done by the History students of Dr. Julian Chambliss at Rollins College, who spent time at the WPFD researching and studying the history of the WPFD. Some students selected and scanned archival images to include in their work and others wrote papers explaining the history of the WPFD.

Included here are the works of:

Shannon Alice Reed & Shannon Joy Van Dyke: Winter Park's Fire Department Founding Fathers
Brittainy Daiger & Rachel Malatesta: A Comparison of the Winter Park and Orlando Fire Departments
Josh Band: Scanned images
Rosalina Smith: Editor

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