ABOUT
MASTERSONVILLE
FIRE COMPANY
Mastersonville Volunteer Fire Department is located in rural Rapho Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We are located approximately 6 miles from Manheim, Mount Joy, and Elizabethtown. Our coverage area is approximately 50 square miles, which includes mostly farmland and single-family dwellings. There are approximately 6,500 residents in our first due area. We are a 100% volunteer department, run by approximately 30 active members.
2024 OFFICERS
Fire Officers
Kyle Peters
Fire Chief
Troy Montgomery
Deputy Chief
Jeff Siegrist
1st Assistant Chief
Eric Shields
2nd Assistant Chief
Ivan King
Captain 1
Mitch Smith
Captain 2
Ashley Sinniger
Lieutenant 1
VACANT
Lieutenant 2
John Young
Chief Engineer
Kristin Martin
Fire Police Captain
Administrative
Mark Duttera
President
Jeff Siegrist
Vice President
Sara Duttera
Secretary
Lori Shenk
Assistant Secretary
Jeff Martin
Treasurer
Zachary Duttera
Assistant Treasurer
Other Officers
Larry Groff
Chaplain
Danielle Shilelds
Host
Eric Shields, Tim Siegrist, & Mitch Smith
Trustees
Eric Shields
County Delegate
Jeff Siegrist & Troy Montgomery
Alternate Delegates
Matt Shenk
QRS OPS Chief
Relief Officers
Eric Shields
President
Mike Smith
Vice President
Ashley Sinniger
Treasurer
Sara Duttera
Secretary
HISTORY
FOUNDING OF MASTERSONVILLE FIRE COMPANY
In the mid-1940’s, the Mastersonville community saw a need for a fire company located closer to their homes and farms. At that time, the modern 911 emergency phone system didn’t exist and residents would literally call out “FIRE!” in hopes of alerting neighbors. In more rural locations, someone would drive, or if they had a phone, would call the Mastersonville Store, to report the fire. Those who heard the call for help would run, or get in their cars and respond, to see how they could help. Their intentions were sincere, but without a readily available water supply and equipment to extinguish the fire, their efforts were often in vain. Hoping to improve on their good intentions, residents of the small village located in northern Rapho Township (Lancaster County) began to organize themselves and plan for the future.
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On December 6, 1949, the first meeting of the newly formed Mastersonville Volunteer Fire Company was held in Frank Grube’s garage on Colebrook Road. There were 23 residents present at the first meeting, and by the time the Articles of Incorporation were filed in 1950, there were 75 residents who made up the Membership of the newly organized fire company.
The first order of business at their first company meeting was the election of officers. Members voted J. Galen Shelly as their Chief and Ray Shelly as their President. Other officers included:
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Ray Summy, Vice President
J. Richard Shenenberger, Secretary and Fire Police Captain
Graybill Stauffer, Assistant Secretary
John B. Haldeman, Treasurer
Vere Garman, Assistant Chief
Frank Grube, Chief Engineer
Carl Summy, Hose Director
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Financial records from that first business meeting showed a total of $1,397.50 in cash and a 1935 Dodge engine which had been purchased from the Mount Joy Fire Department for $510.00.
Once the election of officers was complete, other business included deciding where a suitable location would be for a permanent fire station, who should be the community contact in the event of a fire, how would volunteers be notified of the fire, and where to house their engine and equipment.
They agreed there should be two locations to contact in the event of a fire. One would be Frank Grube’s residence on Colebrook Road, and the other would be the Mastersonville Store, located at the intersection of Colebrook Road and Meadow View Road. It was decided that two alarms (sirens) would be placed, one at each location, so that when a call was received the person answering the phone would ring the siren to alert available fireman. Frank Grube’s garage was chosen as the place to house the engine.
In the following months, members considered several locations to build a permanent fire station. A plot of land along Mastersonville Road was offered by Isaac Stauffer, but before construction could begin, the Manheim School District (now the Manheim Central School District) expressed wishes to purchase the Stauffer land, so on May 2, 1950, another option was considered when the Hess Family donated land located on Meadow View Road, just east of Colebrook Road. It was at this location that the community built their fire station.
Picture circa 1960’s
Over the years the fire company would outgrow the station several times and the building would undergo many additions and renovations to accommodate additional apparatus purchases. As modern fire apparatus was built longer and taller, it became obvious the aging station and property lot size would no longer have the ability to accommodate their needs. By the early 2000’s, members had begun to give serious consideration to purchasing property for a new station.
After an exhaustive search, an offer was made to the fire company to purchase a 10-acre lot located across from their existing station. In 2017, a ground-breaking ceremony was held and construction began. In 2018, the new station at 2121 Meadow View Road was complete and operational. The design of the new station gave consideration to what the needs of the station and the community would be, not only for current needs, but also for 50 years or more into the future.
Picture 2021
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1935 DODGE
The 1935 Dodge was purchased as a used engine from Mount Joy Fire Company, now known as Fire Department Mount Joy, for $510.00.
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(Pictured L – R: Layser Shenk, Stanley Ruhl, Frank Grube, Guy Keener, unknown, Ralph Nissley Jr., J. Galen Shelly, Glen Kulp, Chester Hoffer, Vere Garman, Harvey Grube, Robert Kulp)
1956 DODGE AMERICAN LAFRANCE
The 1956 Dodge American LaFrance pumper is shown with past fire chief, Oscar Y Ruhl Jr. The letters shown above the garage door were cast iron and poured by hand by member Ray Shelly. Ruhl served as fire chief for 10 years (1982 – 1991) and Shelly served as the company’s first President from 1949 – 1954. Purchased as a used engine from Mount Joy Fire Company, now known as Fire Department Mount Joy, for $510.00.
(Pictured: Several officers from the Mount Joy Fire Company with several Mastersonville Fire Company officers (Mastersonville member Elmer Shelly on the running board)
(Pictured L – R: Abe Siegrist, Assistant Chief, Chet Hoffer, Chief, Robert Kulp, President)
1970 Chevrolet Squad
1972 Ford Tanker
1956 Dodge American LaFrance