Chatham Fire Department Launches Instagram Page

CHATHAM, NJ — The Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department introduced its new Instagram account to its Facebook followers on Tuesday, sharing the spotlight for its first post with two nearby fellow fire companies.

In its first Instagram post, the Borough Fire Department announced it had recently trained with Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department and Green Village Fire Department, performing drills that honed in on coming to the aid of firefighters who may be in need of saving while on the scene, themselves.

The post included photos taken during the training exercise with Chatham Township and Green Village.

“Our first post is about something that is very close to our hearts, the fire service and the brotherhood/sisterhood which extends beyond our own community,” the Chatham Borough Fire Department explained during its Instagram unveiling.

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A post shared by Chatham Borough Fire Dept. (@chathamfiredept)

“We are thankful for all of our neighboring fire departments and try to cultivate a great working relationship with all of our mutual aid partners,” they wrote. "Thank you for always having our backs.”

According to its Facebook Page, Chatham Borough’s Fire Department was founded in 1898 and remains mainly a volunteer organization.

Chatham Township’s Facebook Page explains its department, formerly the Long Hill Volunteer Fire Company, formed in 1925, with its first duties to contain brush fires. The early firefighters reportedly used “brush brooms” to snuff them out.

As the community grew, so did the need for more sophisticated equipment and fundraising, with a 1,000 gallon-per-minute pumper acquired in the 1960s. In 1975, the department adopted its new name, Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department, Long Hill Company No. 1., in keeping with the times of the municipality. The Long Hill portion of the name was dropped in 1992, with the department renamed “Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Department, District 2,” as part of its coverage area, sharing a border with Chatham Borough.

The “District 1” area is covered by Green Village Fire Department, which Chatham Township also shared on its Facebook Page. Green Village notes on its Facebook Page that its department watches over District 1 and “portions of Harding Township since its founding on April 22, 1922.”

Questions or comments about this story? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.