Sandy Fire invites the community to celebrate its 100th anniversary Aug. 18

As they thumb through Sandy Fire District archives, Gary McQueen and Phil Schneider reminisce.

They pause when they see the newspaper clippings following Sept. 11, 2001.

They grin when they spot the feature articles written about their childhood dreams coming full circle.

Memories abound of community events, muster competitions (fire rescue-related competitions between fire companies) and the camaraderie of the station.

“We’re the old guys now,” Schneider says, laughing.

More than 30 years after the fire chief and deputy chief kicked off their careers through the Sandy High School Auxiliary, they’re delighted to join with Sandy Fire in celebrating the district’s centennial.

The 100th anniversary celebration — a day filled with fire safety-related games, an antique apparatus and emergency vehicle show, muster demonstrations, safety booths, memorabilia, food for sale and free cake — will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, on the Sandy Grade School grounds.

According to Sandy Fire records, the first fire apparatuses, two American La France, two-wheeled, 45-gallon chemical fire engines, were purchased Nov. 12, 1912, for $800.

Before 1912, it’s likely fires in the Sandy area were fought by volunteers with bucket brigades, one of the first forms of fire protection (and a game kids can try at the celebration, pouring water from bucket to bucket until they reach a trough and keeping their buckets afterward).

The first Model T Ford fire truck was introduced in the 1930s, and Sandy Fire became a nonprofit run by volunteers in the 1940s, known as Sandy Rural Fire Commission.

While the department was funded through donations, events and ambulance charges, the city bought it a $3,476.71 1940 Chevrolet Chassis for city use that was used through 1973.

In 1961, Sandy Fire was reorganized under Oregon State Statutes as Sandy Rural Fire Protection District No. 72, continuing to run the ambulance service as a nonprofit. Then in 1974, it became privately operated.

Between 1963 and 1969, the original Sandy Station was built, and in 1981, the district doubled its bay space, adding sleeping facilities, classrooms, office space, a combination hose and drill tower and parking space through a $665,000 project.

The district had to work with Lucille Odgen, buying a home on Pleasant Street to trade her for her house that was on the site they wanted to expand.

The district has seen six fire chiefs since it began: Lyle Seaman, Bob Rathke, Gary Connelly, James Haugsness, Ron Smith (acting fire chief for one year) and Gary McQueen.

In 1972, the district employed its first career firefighters, and today Sandy Fire includes 53 volunteers, 11 full-time career firefighters, two part-time battalion chiefs, two part-time employees, one part-time public information officer and one civilian employee.

During this milestone year, Sandy Fire is changing its patch for the first time in 30 years. (See the new one above.)

“It’s our symbol, our patch, our envelope logo, what we stand for,” Schneider says.

After the 2011 celebrations of Sandy and Clackamas County Bank’s 100th anniversaries, Sandy Fire is ready for a party.

“I would hate for anyone to miss what promises to be a fantastically fun event,” said Alice Lasher Busch, public information officer.

During the Aug. 18 event, Olin Bignall Aquatic Center, right next to Sandy Grade, will be open for a free swim day.

Food vendors will start selling food and the first muster demonstration will begin at 11 a.m., with a bucket brigade for kids kicking off at 11:30 a.m.

Also at 11:30, McQueen and Schneider will take their places under the Pitchburst, a contraption similar to a dunk tank that douses the person under it. The Pitchburst will run until 1:30 p.m.

Sandy Fire will demonstrate vehicle extrication at noon with new equipment and hold an hourly prize drawing (for which participants must be present to win).

At 12:30 p.m. a kids’ competition will take place, and another muster demonstration kicks off at 1 with an hourly prize drawing.

Sandy Fire will tally votes for the best apparatuses and award basket to the winners at 1:30, with the celebration concluding at 2 p.m.