Newark Fire Museum, Newark Fire Department Historical Association - Newark, NJ

The Newark Museum is located at 43 Washington Street in the City of Newark, NJ. Founded 1909, the museum opened its doors in 1926. The Newark Fire Museum, formerly the Ward Carriage House (c1860), is located in the courtyard of the Newark Museum. The Newark Fire Department Historical Association moved into the Ward Carriage House in July of 1967. The Newark Museum is in the process of developing a long range plan for enhancing the collection of the Newark Fire Museum. This one is my very favorite fire museums. Not only because of my ties to the Newark Fire Department, but it is the first fire museum I ever visited. I’m looking forward to seeing the collection after its enhancement.

On September 15th, 2011 I traveled back to the Newark, NJ Fire Museum to check out the changes that have been incorporated into the display. “Fire Escapes: Danger & Survival” is an exciting and important new initiative to teach fire safety and prevention to thousands of children and families from throughout Newark and surrounding communities. The exhibit is a high-tech, hands-on, interactive learning environment. Highlights include a real modified fire apparatus cab, a demonstration area with firefighting personal protective gear that children can try on, and a “Hazard House” featuring interactive devices to provide a simulated experience for locating fire dangers.

The updated display, “A Cry of Fire: The New Jersey Fire Story,” features historic protective clothing, equipment, illustrations and memorabilia to help understand the history of fire fighting and outstanding bravery of the men who battled life threatening fires. This exhibit’s centerpiece is a recently conserved and rare 1853 Fire Hose Cart built for the Neptune Hose Company No. 1 of Newark. Other exhibit highlights include a steel beam section from the World Trade Center site. The beam was presented to the Newark Fire Department in recognition of their participation of the search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. The second floor of the fire museum was closed during this visit, and I look forward to the re-opening of this portion of the collection.