Chief Details History of Fire Department at March HHA Meeting

Life-long Hudson resident and fifth-generation firefighter Jerry Varnes will talk about the evolution of the Hudson Fire Department and the history of firefighting in Hudson when he speaks to Hudson Heritage Association on Thursday, March 3 – a special date for the group’s monthly meeting.

Hudson established the first volunteer fire department in Summit County in 1849. In 1859, Hudson purchased the first horse-drawn pumper in Summit County. Along with North Akron, Hudson’s department handled all of the firefighting in Summit County until 1886, when other communities began forming their own departments. Chief Varnes will talk about the department’s growth from an all-volunteer force, advances in firefighting equipment and techniques, the trend toward fire prevention and education, and the department’s role in safeguarding Hudson’s many older structures. Chief Varnes will talk about the various locations that have housed the department over time and Hudson’s new fire museum, which will be located at Hudson Town Hall.

Chief Varnes joined the Hudson Fire Department in 1978. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1992 and became assistant fire chief in 2002. He became chief of the department in 2013. Chief Varnes also served as a member of Hudson EMS from 1980 to 1999 and was chief medic from 1996 to 1999. His father, Bill Varnes, was assistant fire chief for the Hudson Fire Department for 42 years, and his great grandfather was Hudson Fire Chief from 1916-1919 and 1928-1932.

The March 3 meeting will be held at Barlow Community Center and will begin at 7:30 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following Chief Varnes’ presentation.

Founded in 1962, Hudson Heritage Association works to protect historic buildings, the village streetscape, and the city’s Western Reserve architectural aesthetic. It encourages the preservation of historic buildings by providing research, resources and education to homeowners who wish to maintain their historic homes and co-sponsors the city’s work with the Cleveland Restoration Society. HHA also works with building owners to help them meet historic marker requirements and identifies those buildings with the HHA historic marker. The association shares and celebrates the history of Northeastern Ohio by publishing books and newsletters, conducting workshops and field trips, and hosting monthly meetings that feature local preservationists, historians and craftsmen.