About

Our Volunteer Fire Company

In November, 1927, two garages and a house were destroyed by fire due to the inability of neighboring towns’ fire department to respond to the fire call in time to save these properties.

Realizing the seriousness of inadequate fire protection, a group of men – Clarence Scheurman, William Scheurman, George Wadge, Fred Fink, John B. Buckalew, Joseph Tetlow, Edward J. Kappelmann and William Gaub – organized the first fire company of Green Brook.

A sum of approximately $500 was raised by public subscription and with this money they bought an old 1918 Republic Truck equipped with two 40-gallon acid and soda tanks.  This put the new North Plainfield Township Volunteer Fire Company (its name changed to Green Brook Volunteer Fire Company in 1932) in business.  Lacking suitable storage space for their truck, Fred Fink offered the use of his garage (without doors) as a fire house.  With a treasury balance of $100, doors were installed on Fink’s garage (in lieu of rent) and a siren purchased for $35.00.

Pressed for space they bought the “Little Gray School House” for one dollar in 1928 and moved it to the site it occupied until 1971.  This one room building, built around 1857 was the seat of learning for Green Brook children for over 70 years.  It was this building which became part of Green Brook’s first fire house.  Later expanded to include a garage and meeting room, it has served Green Brook well and laudable as a functional and entertainment center until October, 1971, when the new firehouse was erected.