The Cheesequake Volunteer Fire Company was established in 1926 with a dedicated team of volunteers. The land where House #1 now stands was generously donated by William Gross, one of the company's charter members. Initially, the firehouse was a modest 12'x15' tin shed used to store a hand-drawn chemical wagon acquired from the Morgan Munitions Plant.
In 1932, the company relocated a building purchased from the Crescent Sportsman Club to the site of the shed to house a 1917 Model T fire truck obtained from the Leonardo Fire Department. In 1937, a 1931 Chevy fire engine was added to the fleet, purchased from the New Jersey Fire Equipment Company. This vehicle remained in service until 1950, when an addition to the firehouse was constructed to accommodate a new International Pumper (201).
By 1959, the company ordered a 750 GPM pumper (203), which required constructing a completely new firehouse. This new facility was dedicated in May 1960. The fleet continued to grow with the addition of another pumper (202) in 1961 and an 85-foot aerial ladder truck (204) in 1965, leading to further expansions of the building. In 1969, a 4-wheel-drive pickup, later modified as a brush truck (206), was introduced, followed by a 1000 GPM pumper (207) and a station wagon for the Chief (209) in 1971. A Rescue and Squad Truck (205) was added in 1976.
To meet the needs of the rapidly growing Lakeridge area, a firehouse on Highway 516 was built in 1967. Initially unused due to a lack of personnel, a 1969 recruitment campaign successfully formed a crew for "Engine Two." Station 3 opened in the late 1970s in a repurposed church building, which was later replaced in the mid-1990s with a modern steel facility to better serve the community. Today, the Cheesequake Volunteer Fire Company continues its proud tradition of protecting lives and property, remaining an integral part of the Old Bridge community.
