The Original Community “Fire Alarm”

You may have heard of or seen the Westerville Division of Fire’s (WFD) fire bell. But, do you know the full history behind the 163-year-old bell?

Dating back to 1860, the WFD was officially established for community fire protection and prevention. The fire bell was first introduced at this time and placed in Uptown Westerville for residents to access in the case of emergencies.

In 1890, Westerville was split into four districts, which coincided with the number of fire bell rings. District one was the corporation lying east of State Street and south of Main Street; district two was west of State Street and south of Main Street; district three was the area west of State Street and north of Main Street; and district four was the section east of State Street and north of Main Street.

When a fire broke out, Westerville residents would ring the fire bell to alert firefighters of the situation. The number of rings determined which direction the fire was in, based on the sectioned village districts of the time.

On July 17, 1902, Westerville City Council prepared a requisition for a few materials, one of which included a new siren to be placed on top of the City Hall building for fire use. At the time, Council felt the $150 purchase was too expensive and passed the matter to the City Manager to finalize.

As time passed and technology advanced, the fire bell was eventually replaced with the telephone. On June 26, 1908, the telephone was granted to Westerville’s Mayor and Fire Chief and Marshal.

Soon after, the fire bell was donated to Longfellow Elementary (120 Hiawatha Ave.). It’s reported that the bell was used by the school custodian to signal lunch time and daily dismissal.

WFD Firefighters re-collected the bell for placement at the (former) fire department headquarters at what is now Westerville City Hall (21 S. State St.).

Once the new main fire station (located at 400 W. Main St.) was built in 1985, the fire bell moved again for current, former and local firefighters to enjoy. To this day, it is where the fire bell remains, and is rung for special firefighter ceremonies.

The original fire bell has found its permanent home at the entry of Firehouse 111 (400 W. Main St).