Mechanics Fire Company No. 3

The Mechanics Fire Company No. 3 was a volunteer fire-fighting unit organized in Birmingham on February 16, 1881 with twenty charter members. W. P. Brewer was the company's foreman.

On October 4, 1882 the Birmingham Board of Aldermen organized the city's first unified volunteer fire department and placed the Brewer in command, as the city's first "Chief Engineer", responsible for coordinating fire-fighting efforts and the maintenance of fire hydrants which the city leased from the Elyton Land Company's Birmingham Water Works. He was assisted by W. R. Stanford and Isaac Hochstadter.

Brewer was re-elected to serve a second term as Chief Engineer in January 1885. In September of that same year the city initiated a professional fire department under the direction of City Marshal Frank Gafford.

References

• Laughlin, Jerry W. (n. d.) "The First 100 Years: 1872 to 1972". IAFF Local 117 and Birmingham Retired Firefighters - accessed via the Internet Archive