Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 3 December 2004

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The first provision made by the village for protection from fire was the organization of the lot-owners into a fire-bucket company, and the purchase of hooks and ladders for the use of the village. Four sections of the earliest ordinance of the town relating to fires which has been found are given below.

AN ORDINANCE TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS BY FIRE

SECTION 1. Be it ordained by the Trustees of the town of Lebanon, That each freeholder within the corporation of Lebanon, who shall own any lot or lots in said corporation, on which is erected any dwelling-house or store-house, shall, on or before the 10th day of February next, furnish him or herself with a fire-bucket for each and every such building, the fire-bucket to be made of good and sufficient soal leather; the bucket to be made thirteen

inches in height; the diameter at the top nine inches, and at the bottom seven inches in the clear, the bucket to he bound round the top with a rope covered with leather, and a rope handle covered with leather, which bucket shall be well and sufficiently jacked; on the side of each bucket shall be marked with paint the initials of the owner's name, which bucket or buckets shall lie kept by the said freeholder (or his or her tenant, as the case may be) in the most convenient place in each house and store, to be had on any emergency.
SEC 2. Be it further ordained. That of any alarm being given of fire, it shall be the duty of every householder within the corporation aforesaid (females excepted), to repair with his bucket to the place of such fire, if within the limits of the corporation, without delay, and there assist in extinguishing said fire.

SEC. 8. Be it further ordained. That the fire hooks and ladders belonging to the corporation shall he deposited at the market house under the care of Thomas Best, and shall in no case be used except in a case of fire, under the penalty of five dollars to be imposed on the person so offending.

SEC. 9. Be it further ordained, That all fines and penalties incurred under this ordinance, shall be recovered by an action before the Trustees for the use of the corporation, this ordinance to take effect and be in force from and after its passage

SILAS HURIN, President

Attest :
JOHN REEVES, Recorder
LEBANON, January 11, 1815.

The first fire engine of the village was purchased about 1828, and was called "Minnie." The "Minnie" is described as a home-made engine, of novel constitution, consisting of a rude device for throwing water, placed in a box about four feet long, three feet wide and two feet deep, and the whole mounted on four small wheels. The water was thrown into the box by a line of men with buckets extending from the nearest supply. From the box the water was pumped by hand-brakes and thrown upon the fire. This little engine was more effective than might at first be supposed. It could be drawn along the pavement, lifted over obstructions, and taken into dooryards through gateways.

The second fire engine was purchased about 1835, and was called the "Whale." This was a side-bar suction engine, large and cumbersome. It was bought in Cincinnati and cost $1,400. Soon after, the Lebanon Fire Company, composed of property holders of the village, was organized. The Franklin Fire Company was organized about 1849.

The third engine was called " The Franklin," a two stream suction engine, with improved pumps and two sets of brakes, one above the other, the upper one worked by men standing on a platform. This engine was used until about the commencement of the civil war, when it was sold to the village of Franklin.

The hand engine, "Union, No. 1," was bought of Button & Blake, the manufacturers, at Waterford, N. Y., in 1861, for $920. It is still in use, and is an improved three-stream apparatus, and has proved an excellent engine.

The first steam fire engine was purchased in 1871. It is called "The Belle of the West," is a rotary Silsby engine, purchased of the Silsby Manufacturing Company of Seneca Falls, N. Y., at a cost of $6,000. It is drawn to and from fires by members of the fire company and citizens. Horses have never been used in the service of the fire department.