On September 18, 1944, at 8:00 P.M. a group of public citizens met at Willis King’s home to discuss ways and means of making the community of Southwood a better place to live. They called themselves the “Southwood Taxpayers Association”. Their principle objectives were to have a grammar school, a play ground, a fire department, police protection, and other desired improvements.

On July 17, 1945 the Southwood Volunteer Fire department was organized at a special meeting of the Taxpayers Association and with the efforts of the Fire Protection Committee and the chairman, Walter Giemza. The first Fire Chief was William Strieff.

The first piece of equipment was a tanker built by the firemen from an old 1935 Reo truck body, also a tank was made by some members after work hours at the San-Equipment Corporation. The tanker was completed October 2, 1945 at a cost of under a thousand dollars.

The department covers approximately a 1330 acre area. The largest fire in the district was at the old Byrne farm on East Seneca Turnpike near the city line. The fire started at 4:00 A.M. and was a complete loss.

The Southwood Ladies Auxiliary was organized June 2, 1946. The first president was Thelma Krickmire. The purpose of the auxiliary was to aid the firemen in every way possible, to prevent fire by practicing and teaching safety in the home, and to promote a spirit of neighborliness and cooperation in the community. Throughout the years the ladies have helped with fund raising activities and made generous donations toward fire fighting equipment, building furniture, the new building, the kitchen and numerous other needed improvements. Their work has been greatly appreciated by the men along with that good, hot cup of coffee and refreshments the auxiliary serves on a cold night when there has been a tough fire to fight.

The original fire station was the first fire chief’s garage on Grace Place. The alarm system consisted of a siren attached to the garage and members of the community ran to the garage to ring the siren.

The first full time fire house was built entirely by the members of the department on 3 lots on Grace Place. One lot was donated by Mrs. Rose of Rose real Estate, another was donated by the ladies auxiliary and the third was purchased by the department.

When the department was founded there was no available water for fire protection except for individual wells. Tankers were used and filled from whatever source they could find; Once in a while liberating a load of water from the City of Syracuse from a hydrant by the old goat farm. In 1959 a water system with hydrants was installed. To fulfill their needs they immediately ordered a 1959 Ward-LaFrance 750 G.P.M. pumper.

By 1970, a new fire station with 3 double bays, a drive through system, a meeting room, and a kitchen were nearing completion.

In 1972 the department purchased a truck with first aid and rescue equipment and called it Southwood Rescue Truck No. 5. They also now had a complete plectron warning system in each fireman’s home, and each fireman had his own set of personal fire fighting equipment.

Since then we have experienced many highs and lows, and have been through many transformations. We currently have 26 active firefighters, along with 8 members of our Auxiliary, which we now call the Southwood Support Team. We have three new trucks, some specialized new equipment, and are being trained twice a month by professional Fire Instructors. All of this we do to best support the Southwood Community and its neighbors, anytime we are called upon.