News

Fire Department celebrates 130 years
NDFD is the oldest university fire department in the nation
BY CAROL C. BRADLEY, NDWORKS

On November 21, 1879—in the wake of a devastating fire that destroyed the Main Building—the Provincial Council of Holy Cross directed Rev. John Zahm, C.S.C., to form a fire department, staffed by brothers and students. Within 12 hours, it’s said, Father Zahm had organized two hand-drawn hose companies for the newly-established fire department.

Today—130 year later—Notre Dame is the oldest university fire department in the nation—and the only career fire department at a private university. A staff of 17 fields more than 1,300 calls a year, offering protection for three campuses and a population of around 15,000—a number that swells to over 100,000 on football weekends.

Notre Dame has it’s own fire department today as a direct result of the Main Building fire, and the geographic isolation of the campus at the time.

“In 1879, we were the school at the top of the hill,” Farhat notes. “The South Bend volunteer fire department was down the hill and across the river.” At the time of the Main Building fire, the beleaguered fire brigade had looked to South Bend for help. But by the time the horse-drawn steamer engine arrived—45 minutes later—the building was already gone.

There are records of a rudimentary fire department on campus as early as 1846, notes Farhat, who has done considerable research on the department’s history. At the time the department’s main duties were to procure buckets, axes and other tools in the event of a fire.

The 1879 fire department included a chief, assistant chief and fire marshal—all brothers or students. The campus bulletin for 1879-80 noted that, “The destruction of the old College has drawn special attention to the protection of the new building from all possible danger of fire.” The walls, it was noted, “are of solid brick and stone.” Fire escapes were added on every floor, “so that should fire ever again occur, which may God forbid, there will be ample means of escape from every story and every room of the building.”

The first central firehouse was built in 1896, about 300 feet northeast of the Main Building—that building was torn down after the current firehouse was built in 1945.

“We’re a small department of 17, but the fire department has a long and illustrious history at the University,” Farhat says. “It’s evolved from volunteers to brothers and students to professional firefighters. We have a proud history—and we look forward to it continuing.”