Fire Department History

Raritan Engine Co. No. 2 was formed in 1923 to protect the Clara Barton section of Raritan Township.
This area, known as Fire District No. 3 encompassed the section between the Metuchen border on the
west and the Woodbridge border on the east. In the 1960’s, the company increased their response area
to include the former site of the Raritan Arsenal, which has, throughout the years, developed into the
largest industrial park on the east coast. Today the company protects the same area, now known as
Precinct 3 and is the only Edison volunteer fire company that still remains in their original firehouse.

On August 17, 1923, Raritan Engine Co. No. 2 received its charter and started providing fire protection in
the Clara Barton section. The members elected Clifford Pfeiffer as the company’s first fire chief. On July
1, 1924, William Gross, father of fire chief Nathan Gross, generously donated land on the corner of New
Brunswick Avenue (now known as Amboy Avenue) and Charles Street (now known as Burchard Street)
to the commissioners of Fire District No. 3 with the stipulation that the property would be used for fire
department services only. By 1925, the fire commissioners purchased a 1924 Studz Bearcat fire engine,
which was temporarily housed in one of the bays at Gross’ Oil Company on the corner of Woodbridge
Avenue and New Brunswick Avenue until the firehouse was built. Within a year, a beautiful two-story
brick firehouse was erected.

(Excerpts above courtesy of Images of America: Edison Firefighting, Eugene A. Enfield Jr. 2007)