SJRFD Anniversary

125 years of Bravery, Safety and Honour

The St. John’s Fire Department was originally established in 1895 under the government to protect the citizens of St. John’s after the Great Fire of 1892 which saw the destruction of hundreds of homes, leaving thousands of people homeless and causing millions of dollars in damage.

In 1992 the department was transferred to the City of St. John’s to provide emergency protection to St. John’s and Mount Pearl through a Regional Fire Services Committee. It subsequently became known as the St. John’s Regional Fire Department (SJRFD) which now proudly serves St. John’s, Mount Pearl and Paradise. We value the history and tradition of the SJRFD, an organization built on the past. Just as importantly we value the commitment of the men and women who are currently with the department, who share the responsibility of shaping our future.

The SJRFD of today is a modern and progressive department that is committed to protecting the lives and property of the citizens we serve.

“The men and women of the SJRFD provide these services in a professional manner and are to be commended for this, given some of the many inherent challenges of protecting a combination of historic and modern architecture,” says Chief Colford.

Contact us: Fire Prevention Division 576-3905 fireprevention@stjohns.ca sjrfd.ca @SJRFD

The St. John’s Regional Fire Department was born out of the Great Fire of 1892 which burned over two-thirds of St. John’s leaving over 11,000 homeless. The aftermath can be seen in the picture below.

A look back at Firefighting in St. John’s

Whether it was horse drawn equipment of yesteryear or the modern fire engines of today, the St. John’s Regional Fire Department has always maintained a high level of technology and training for its staff to safeguard property and save lives. Here’s a look at some historical pictures of the equipment used over the years.

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1. The Central Fire Station in St. John’s in 1901. 2. The first motorized engine acquired by the Fire Department in 1920. 3. Horses were used by the Fire Department into the 1950s to supplement motorized equipment during the winter months. 4. A La France Aerial ladder on display, 1926, note the four fire fighters on the ladder. 5. All the trucks housed at the Central Fire Station, 1939. 6. An Emerson engine and a La France Aerial ladder outside Pleasantville Station, 1966.

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