Laflin Fire Department History

Compiled by Chris Dolan

1895 - 2026

The Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated by decree of Judge Bernard C. Brominski upon the motion of Attorney Anthony B. Panaway in Luzerne County court on Friday, September 14, 1962.

Located in the northeast corner of Luzerne County, Laflin Borough is a 1.3 square mile area consisting of approximately 670 homes and business (including six large warehouses) and approximately 2.5 miles of Interstate 81 and Route 315. Laflin’s population is currently around 1,500 residents.

Laflin Borough was incorporated in 1889. Within a few years, a fire department had formed within the borough.

The Laflin Hose Company was active from the 1890s until around 1920. Not much information is available about Laflin’s first fire department. They were headquartered at Laflin Town Hall at one point and it seems their last fire response came in 1920.

In March 1895, the Laflin Hose Company responded to a fire in a double-frame house owned by the Annora Coal Company. The house was unoccupied and was under renovations to become the coal company’s superintendent’s home. The Laflin Hose Company contained the fire to a small area in the structure.

A newspaper article from September 1897 announced the Laflin Hose House would soon be finished. No location was provided.

The Laflin Hose Company advertised multiple fundraisers over the years, including an event featuring “grand entertainment” in 1898, a “hop, ice cream social and prize drawing” in 1899, and an ice cream social and dance in 1903 and 1905. All events took place at the Laflin Hose House.

In January 1914, a two story house on South Main Street in Laflin was destroyed by fire. It was reported that the Laflin Hose Company did “excellent work” in preventing the flames from jumping to the adjoining houses. The structure was a complete loss and was owned by the Delaware and Hudson Coal Company.

The most recent documentation of the Laflin Hose Company described them responding to a fire that destroyed the Laflin breaker of the Hudson Coal Company in May 1920. The fire was reported by the breaker’s night watchman at 8:45 PM. A newspaper article describes how the Laflin Hose Company immediately responded “as well as hundreds of Laflin volunteer firefighters who saw the danger of being thrown out of work for several weeks.” As the fire continued to consume the breaker, a call was made to the fire departments from Pittston, Miners Mills, Plains and Hudson for assistance.

In the time between the disbanding of the Laflin Hose Company and the formation of the Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department, fire protection for the borough was provided by the neighboring Jenkins Township Volunteer Fire Department. An agreement between Laflin Borough and Jenkins Township was made in August 1954 — Jenkins Township supervisors agreed to provide fire protection to Laflin in exchange for Laflin’s yearly firemen’s relief check, plus $50 per year should Jenkins Township be called to a fire in Laflin. If there was no fire in any given year, then only the firemen’s relief check — ranging from $22 to $65 — would be paid to Jenkins Township.

It was reported in 1962 that for several years, Laflin had been assessed the additional $50 fee regardless whether or not Jenkins Township responded into Laflin. Jenkins Township supervisors made a motion in 1962 that Laflin borough must pay the additional fee of $50 per year or lose fire protection. Shortly before Laflin’s fire department formed, Jenkins Township was charging Laflin between $77 to $115 per year for fire protection.

Laflin Borough continued to pay Jenkins Township for fire protection for a short while after the Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department went in service. The borough paid Jenkins Township $150 in May 1962 for three years of fire protection services, and another $50 was paid in October 1962 “in appreciation for cooperation and service received from the Jenkins Township Volunteers, since August 1954 up to the present time, in contrast to the small compensation received by them from Laflin Borough.” In January 1963, Laflin Borough council approved another $50 payment to Jenkins Township to provide fire protection for Laflin until the newly formed Laflin fire company could raise sufficient funds to purchase hose.

Laflin held multiple events to raise money to purchase the hose, including a two-day chicken and spaghetti dinner in February 1963, and a two-day picnic at Laflin Grove in July. In April 1963, Jenkins Township was still covering calls for Laflin, but by September, both Jenkins Township and Laflin were responding together to calls in the borough.

While not chartered until September of 1962, the Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department was active earlier in the year. It was reported that in April 1962, Laflin firefighters along with members of the Columbia Fire Company of Kingston responded to a brush fire that started in the woods off Route 315 and spread to a wooded area behind Laflin Grove. Jenkins Township was called, but they were busy at another call in Old Boston.

In its early years, the department operated out of the original Laflin Borough Building on Market Street, across from the Casey-Kassa Coal / Silverbrook Anthracite company’s facility.

In 1962, Laflin purchased their first piece of fire apparatus — a used 1931 American LaFrance engine from the Goodwill Hose Company of West Pittston. In October of that year, Laflin firefighters began a door-to-door canvas for contributions for a building fund drive for a new station in Laflin. Residents were asked to give as generously as possible, because “the volunteer firemen are anxious to build as soon as possible,” according to a newspaper article.

When the current Laflin Borough Building was constructed on Laflin Road in 1967, the fire department moved from Market Street into the new facility. The fire department was given two garage bays (now the library) and the basement for use as a meeting room.

Within a year of their formation, the Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department hosted a series of meetings with borough residents to inform them on how to report an emergency in the borough. In late 1963, residents were given a list of phone numbers to call to report a fire, and were told at least one person on the list would be available at all times — either Fire Chief John Norcross, Gabe Cristiani, or Joseph Saporito. Jenkins Township was still responding into Laflin at this time for all fires except brush fires.

Laflin purchased a used 1936 Diamond T / Brockway fire truck from the Maltby Fire Department of Swoyersville in 1967. Both Laflin and Yatesville purchased fire trucks that year, shortly after both municipalities decided to provide their own fire protection instead of relying on Jenkins Township.

In May 1968, Laflin entered into a mutual aid agreement with the fire departments from Yatesville, Jenkins Township and Dupont. In case of an emergency in Laflin borough, firefighters were to notify Mayor Frank Yanko, Chief William McHenry and Assistant Chief Joseph Lanning.

In 1969, Laflin purchased a used 1951 International fire engine from Throop Hose Company No. 1 for $5,000. This truck was designated as Engine 1 and remained in service until it was placed with a new GMC / FMC engine in 1980.

Laflin responded to one of the first significant calls in the fire company’s history on Christmas Eve in 1969. A general alarm fire gutted a residential unit under construction in the borough’s Oakwood Park section at 12:17 PM. Firefighters from Laflin, Plains Township and Pittston City fought the blaze for two hours, and the fire was contained to one two-story unit in the row of townhouses. It was reported that the cinder block firewalls prevented the fire from spreading to other units. There was no water source in the immediate area, with the nearest hydrant located 1,000 feet from the building. The unit that burned had been used as a storage area for construction tools and supplies.

Laflin would later respond for another general alarm townhouse fire on February 11, 1976. The townhouse under construction on Haverford Drive was destroyed after heating equipment in the building’s basement overheated a rooftop chimney, causing the joists and roof of the structure to catch fire.

In the early 1970s, Laflin was considering joining the Northern Luzerne County Mutual Fire Aid Civil Defense Section 2 of Greater Pittston. This organization consisted of fire companies from Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Exeter, Harding, Hughestown, Jenkins Township, Pittston City, Pittston Township, West Pittston, West Wyoming and Wyoming. This organization operated with a contact list of numbers to call to summon mutual aid in case of a general alarm fire. Pittston City fire chief Francis McDonnell served as chief of this organization.

In September 1970, Laflin members voted to purchase a new fire siren for $817.40. The new siren was to be installed on a PP&L utility pole near the borough building and would be heard for a radius of five miles. The siren it replaced was deemed inadequate as it could not be heard throughout the whole borough. By March 1971, the new fire siren was installed. It was reported that in order to keep the siren working at peak performance, Laflin would follow the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines and test the siren at a minimum of once per week. The fire department designated each Wednesday at 8:00 PM as the test period.

Laflin spent much of the early 1970s working to advance the department, both through fundraising and acquisitions of new equipment. The department conducted a membership drive and collection of members’ annual dues of $2 in March 1972. In June, Laflin launched a fundraising campaign to offset the purchase of 1,200 feet of new hose, asking all borough residents to donate $1 toward the hose fund.

The Laflin Fire Department held their first annual giant bazaar on the grounds on the Laflin Borough Building from September 3-5, 1972. The first bazaar featured pony rides, food, games and amusements, and ended with a fireworks display on September 5th. The annual bazaar would continue until 1985.

In July 1973, Laflin members met to discuss making a request to the borough to add additional fire hydrants on Elmwood Drive, Cedarwood Drive, Railroad Street and Fairfield Drive. In August, members met to consider joining the Northeastern Pennsylvania Firemen’s Federation.

Laflin firefighters were planning to begin a 15-week firefighting training school for all members in January 1974. Following the course, an advanced course in firefighting techniques would be given. Later that year, Laflin reported they had placed into service 24-hour answering service for emergency calls. Residents could call 654-3322 to alert the department to a fire, and the firefighter taking the call would either activate the house siren or relay calls to notify other firefighters, depending on the scope of the emergency.

Laflin Fire Department members attended a borough council meeting in November 1975 to ask council to appoint a day shift fire truck driver who could also act as a special policeman in addition to performing his driving duties. Laflin had started moving in this direction in January 1970 by placing a volunteer on duty each night from 7-11:30 PM at the station. The borough council president said the recommendation was an excellent idea, and that council would make an all-out effort to include the request in the coming budget. Laflin Borough council approved the fire department’s request in April 1976, voting to approve the first full-time fire truck driver in Laflin’s history. Luzerne borough resident Frank Guido, 22, was appointed to the job and was given a tentative start date of May 17, 1976. His annual salary was $8,500.

With the borough’s population growing after the Agnes flood of 1972, the department added a second engine in 1976 — a new Howe.

Laflin sold their 1951 International fire engine — in service as Engine 1 — to the Irem Temple Shriners in 1980 for use as a parade vehicle. The Shriners resold it shortly after to the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Committee. The engine also had a short stay in West Pittston, and it was sold within months to a scrap yard in Hunlock Creek.

Laflin responded to a mine collapse on Main Street in 1985, after Gardner Creek flooded its banks and opened a sinkhole in a backyard. Over 24 hours, the hole grew to 50’ by 50’, swallowing a shed and swing set into the mines. State officials filled the hole after the floodwaters receded.

Laflin Borough designated the second week of April 1988 as Laflin Borough Volunteer Firemen Week. This week was designated to honor firefighters who give of their time and often risk their lies to save other lives and property.

In 1992, Laflin purchased a new 1992 Pierce engine to replace the FMC.

Laflin was one of multiple fire companies from three counties to respond to a multi-alarm, multi-day fire at the Diversified Records warehouse in West Pittston on May 5, 1997. The sprawling storage facility located on an 18-acre campus between South Street and Erie Street burned for days. Smoke could be seen for miles. Most classes in the Wyoming Area School District were cancelled. Nearly 500 firefighters from three counties battled the blaze over the course of a week.

Later in 1997, Laflin moved a short distance into a new station when the borough built an addition onto the borough building to serve as Laflin’s fire headquarters.

Laflin responded to two significant calls in the year 2000, including the worst air disaster in the history of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

On Sunday, May 21, 2000, a British Aerospace Jetstream 31 aircraft carrying 17 area residents and two crew members was returning to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport from Atlantic City when it crashed into a heavily wooded area in Bear Creek Township, approximately 11 miles south of the airport. It was reported the aircraft lost power to both engines prior to a failed landing attempt at the airport shortly before noon on a cloudy, misty day.

Laflin assisted the Bear Creek Fire Department in searching for the downed plane. Fire personnel were advised of a smoke plume just off the gas pipeline along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Several Laflin firefighters were transported into the woods by personnel from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Laflin firefighters were the first to find the wreckage. Laflin’s crew spent almost 20 hours assisting in the recovery operation. There were no survivors in the crash.

Later that year, Laflin was part of a multi-agency response to a significant and unusual crash on Interstate 81 in Luzerne County. Around 5:00 PM on Sunday, August 6, 2000, a 1996 Pierce Lance 100’ tractor-drawn aerial fire truck from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department of Hyattsville, Maryland crashed on Interstate 81 in Plains Township near the Bear Creek exit. Hyattsville had a live-in member who was a Forest City firefighter, and Truck 1 had travelled to the area for the Old Home Week Parade in Forest City.

Hyattsville Truck 1 was returning home to Maryland when the crash occurred. It was reported that as the driver applied the breaks while approaching slowing traffic ahead of him, the truck began to jackknife as it entered the median and slid before rolling onto the driver’s side. The tillerman was ejected and the driver and a passenger in the cab were trapped. Reports indicate the road was wet at the time of the crash after periods of heavy rain. All passengers were successfully extricated by Laflin and other departments on scene.

Laflin responded to several train derailments in 2001, with units operating for almost 24 hours at each derailment assisting in the righting of multiple cars.

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015, Laflin was one of 27 fire companies from Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties to respond to what would become a fifth alarm fire at the Schott North America glass plant on York Avenue in Duryea. The first alarm was transmitted at 4:53 PM, and more than 100 firefighters battled the blaze for hours.

One of the most tragic calls in the history of the Laflin Fire Department came in the early evening hours of Wednesday, October 25, 2017.

Shortly after 7:00 PM, Luzerne County received a 911 call from a teenage resident of 60 Oakwood Drive in Laflin. He was inside the house with his two brothers, and reported someone they knew who was not supposed to be at the house was on the back porch. Four minutes later, the county received an additional 911 call from a neighbor reporting the back of the house was on fire. An investigation later revealed the ex-boyfriend of the brothers’ mother firebombed the house with the three boys inside.

The Laflin Fire Department, along their mutual aid partners from Jenkins Township, Plains Township and Hughestown, arrived to find fire in the rear of the house and reports of possible entrapment. Firefighters were on scene within minutes of the dispatch and began simultaneously attacking the fire while searching for any occupants. The Laflin engine crew split its duties, designating one firefighter to operate an exterior line on the fire while two other firefighters entered the house for a search.

The first victim was removed within three minutes of arrival. The crew from Laflin’s engine along with firefighters from Hughestown and Jenkins Township continued the search and located the other two brothers. One was found inside the front door, one was found on the stairs to the second floor, and the third was found in a second floor bedroom. The oldest boy almost made it out, leaving handprints on the inside of the front door. One victim removed from the house was revived but later died from carbon monoxide poisoning and burns. Sadly, Erik Dupree, 16, Devon Major, 12, and Ezekial Major, 7, did not survive the fire.

The perpetrator was charged and convicted of arson and second-degree murder. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without parole and remains behind bars.

The Laflin Fire Department started off 2018 with a structure fire on Main Street — the first of three within a small stretch of Main Street that year.

Just before 2:00 PM on January 2, 2018, Laflin responded to a reported structure fire on Main Street, potentially caused by the homeowner attempting to thaw pipes. Laflin Engine 152 arrived on the scene within four minutes of dispatch to find smoke showing from the rear. An exterior fire was found in the rear with potential extension into the residence, and Laflin and Hughestown firefighters found heavy fire in the kitchen and bathroom area. Responding units had the fire out within 20 minutes of arrival containing it to just the rear of the home. All companies cleared after approximately four hours.

Just after 4:00 AM on May 15, 2018, Laflin was dispatched to 24 Main Street for a reported dwelling fire. While Engine 152 was responding, Luzerne County 911 provided an updated report of possible gunshots fired at the scene and other conflicting information. Laflin arrived to find heavy fire conditions from the first floor in the rear of the building. As firefighters were attempting to enter the building, a resident confronted emergency personnel and was being combative with a knife in hand. Firefighters and EMS personnel assisted in subduing the individual, and he was taken into custody by the Pennsylvania State Police.

The third Main Street fire of 2018 came just after 8:00 PM on July 20. Laflin was dispatched to 7 Main Street for a reported structure fire, with a report that the resident was heard coughing inside and had not exited the structure. The Laflin Fire Department was on the scene within three minutes of initial dispatch and arrived to find smoke coming from the house and visible fire in the kitchen. Laflin firefighters found the resident semi-responsive inside the house, and with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, they worked to remove her from the burning kitchen. In addition to the resident, a dog and cat were safely rescued from the house.

In addition to responses to multiple structure fires on Main Street in 2018, Laflin also responded to Wilkes-Barre Township after a tornado touched down on Wednesday, June 13. Laflin’s engine, rescue and command car were requested by Luzerne County to assist with special service duties after the township’s main commercial area took a direct hit by the tornado.

Luzerne County 911 received reports of people trapped in multiple buildings, some with severe structural collapse. In addition to multiple building collapses, vehicles were thrown hundreds of feet, live power lines were down everywhere and gas leaks were flowing. Laflin Chief Marc Malvizzi and Rescue Chief Jody Reinard assisted at the Technical Rescue Command while five Laflin firefighters assisted with searches of the destroyed buildings to locate trapped victims. Laflin units operated at the disaster scene for approximately four hours.

On Friday, October 21, 2022, a fire broke out at the Casey-Kassa Coal / Silverbrook Anthracite Inc. facility on East Saylor Avenue in Laflin. Fire crews from Laflin and surrounding towns responded just after 5:00 PM for a report of a fire in the coal breaker, and quickly got the fire under control. Firefighters operated for about an hour and the building was able to be salvaged and repaired.

On Monday, December 23, 2024, Laflin’s engine was on the initial dispatch for a commercial structure fire at the former Anne Lee Frock building at 108 South Main Street in downtown Pittston. The building was a landmark from Pittston’s past garment industry history. The first alarm came in at 1:27 PM, and Laflin and other fire companies remained on scene well past sundown, battling the flames on a cold and windy day.

Laflin’s rescue was involved in a minor motor vehicle accident on November 22, 2024. The rescue had responded in the early morning hours for a motor vehicle accident on State Route 315 in Laflin. The rescue was parked blocking the scene as firefighters operated at the crash in treacherous road conditions. While operating at the scene, a vehicle drove straight through a long line of flares, past other emergency vehicles and crashed into Laflin’s rescue. No firefighters were injured and the truck was not significantly damaged.

Laflin frequently responds to calls with the same three fire companies. Because they were responding to each others’ calls and wanted more simplified radio communications, the Laflin, Jenkins Township, Pittston City and Pittston Township fire departments developed their own numbering system for their vehicles in recent years. Jenkins Township would be Engine 1, Pittston Township as Engine 2, Pittston City’s engines designated Engine 3 and Engine 4, and Laflin’s engine designated Engine 5. These four fire departments work closely together and have joint response plans, shared equipment and resources and joint training.

Laflin responds to and receives mutual aid from multiple departments in Luzerne County, including Pittston City, Jenkins Township, Dupont, Bear Creek, Avoca, Wyoming and Hughestown. The Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department averages 225 calls per year, with a third of their call volume being motor vehicle accidents, and another third as assists to EMS. Laflin’s Engine and Rescue are both Pennsylvania Department of Health certified Quick Response Service (QRS) vehicles.

The Laflin Fire Department has one paid daytime weekday firefighter paid by Laflin Borough. The department receives about 1/3 of its annual budget in an allocation from Laflin Borough, another third from a yearly door-to-door campaign and the balance from grants and other sources.

Laflin’s command structure consists of the fire chief, a deputy chief, an assistant chief, a captain and a lieutenant. All officers are certified at the Firefighter I level or higher. Laflin’s roster of dedicated volunteers includes multiple EMTs and two fire inspectors. Most of Laflin’s members are also certified in hazardous materials and vehicle rescue. Laflin’s chief Marc Malvizzi is a certified instructor by the Pennsylvania Fire Commissioner’s Office for Firefighter I, Firefighter II and Hazardous Materials, and certifies personnel across the state.

The Laflin Borough Volunteer Fire Department operates two firefighting vehicles.

Engine 152 — also known as Engine 5 — is a 2002 E-One Typhoon engine, equipped with a 1,500 gallon-per-minute pump, a 750 gallon water tank, and also carries 20 gallons of firefighting foam. This engine previously served as Engine 4 with the Highland Park Hose Company of Lewistown, Mifflin County.

Rescue Squad 152 is a 2001 Spartan Advantage rescue pumper, equipped with a 500 gallon-per-minute pump, a 300 gallon water tank, and 20 gallons of firefighting foam. Rescue 152 was previously in service as Rescue 6 with the Orange Village Fire Department of Orange, Ohio.