Formed on December 4, 1857, Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 battled fires with leather buckets filled with water, hooks (or pike poles) and axes. Firefighters and citizens would form a human chain known as a bucket brigade to bring water from the nearest source to the fire. Often the nearest water sources would be horse watering troughs that were scattered throughout the city.

Without fire resistant garments or air packs worn by modern firefighters, early firefighters were forced to fight serious fires from the exterior of the building. To stop fire spread, burning objects such as furniture could be snagged with a pike pole or a metal hook on a chain and dragged outside. The "laddies" of Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 were affectionately known as the "Hooks."

On June 4, 1861 Ordinance No. 17 "An Ordinance for the protection of the Fire Apparatus," authorized a fine not to exceed $25 and the cost of the suit for any person or persons removing from, or otherwise making use of any apparatus belonging to the Fire Company.

Salem's original fire station was located on the alley on the back 30 feet of Joseph Holeman's block. Unfortunately Salem's first fire station would be consumed by fire in 1864; all department records were lost.

Salem's first hook & ladder truck was built by local firefighters in 1857. J. M. Pomeroy performed the wood work and J. B. Nichols was responsible for the metal work. To move the hook & ladder truck, firefighters would unwind the rope from the front axle spool, and two rows of firefighters would pull the ladder truck to the fire at a run. Salem's first ladder truck was sold to Independence, Oregon in 1880 for $150.

In 1880 Alert Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1 purchased a Hayes hook and ladder truck from Babcock Manufacturing Company of Chicago, Illinois, for $1,138. When Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 sold this to Forest Grove, Oregon, on March 26, 1895, for $200 it carried the following equipment:

• Thirteen leather buckets
• 4 Small pike poles
• 1 Spike axe
• Three lanterns
• One ladder 16 feet long
• One hook or sealing ladder 16 feet long
• One ladder 18 feet long
• One hook or sealing ladder 20 feet long
• One ladder 21 feet long
• One ladder 23 feet long

The membership of Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 was recorded in the July 24, 1874 issue of the Salem Daily Record (reprinted by Oregon Statesman on April 5, 1895):

• G. W. Jordan
• J. H. Strickler
• William Cox
• Clark Scott
• Charles Uzafovage
• J. W. Crawford
• J.C. Brown
• H. D. Boon
• Joseph Bernardi
• John C. Berry
• P. R. Bilyeu
• A. Kelly
• E. C. Churchill
• W.W. Martin
• John Morgan
• R. A. Riggs
• Makes Smith
• T. B. Wait
• George H. Chance
• James Dalrymple
• John Farrar
• William England
  
• Squire Farrar
  
• Robert Fleming
  
• John Holman
  
• George Hastings
  
• J. H. Howell, Owen Hutton
  
• J. D. Jordan
  
• W. P. Murphy
  
• Rufus Mallory
  
• David Pugh
  
• E. D. Sloath
  
• William Waldo
  
• A. T. Yeaton
  
• C. N. Terry
  
• Jacob Bernardi

The last log entry for Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 occurred on March 10, 1896.

Researched and written by Larry Blumenstein

Bibliography:
Salem Fire Department 1857-1904, Published in the interest of The Relief Fund, Statesman Job Office

History of the Salem, Oregon Fire Department: the volunteer era 1857 to 1893, Wilkerson

Photo Credit:
Photo of Alert Hook & Ladder formed on State Street is part of the Ben Maxwell collection at Salem Library. Photograph ID SEV.5.3.

Drawing of Alert Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 ladder truck copied with permission from a Salem Fire Department Exempt Certificate owned by R. J. Simpson (grandchild of Salem Fire Department Chief J. H. Haas - 1884)