2017 marked the 85th anniversary of the Southbury Volunteer Firemen’s Association. To say the least, it has been a very interesting three-quarter’s century of service to the town.
Prior to 1932, fire protection in Southbury was spotty at best and nonexistent at worst. Whatever organized fire protection that was available was provided by the Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department (est. 1895). They charged up to fifty dollars per call for trips to Southbury – a considerable amount in that era. In more remote areas of town, bucket brigades and timely rainfall were the best that could be hoped for in most situations.