Rex Hook & Ladder Company No. 1
On December 7 1885, a fire occurred at the York Collegiate Institute. Bad hose hampered the Vigilant and Union companies. Many firemen felt a good portion of the building could have been saved if they had a hook and ladder truck.
On March 30, 1886, a group of firemen meet to discuss forming a hook and ladder company. Money was raised and a hook and ladder truck was purchased, and it arrived in York on April 28, 1887. The truck was housed in the carriage house of the York County Agricultural Society on their grounds at King and Edgar Street.
In 1887, the Rex builds a one story station in the 100 block of East Market Street.
On September 24, 1892, the Rex moves their ladder truck into their new station at 49 South Duke Street, next to the Laurel fire station.
On January 7, 1928, Harold Strebig of the Rex killed. Strebig is crushed by a wall blown out by a natural gas explosion on the second floor of the Susquehanna Garage at 825 Cleveland Ave. during a structure fire. The two-alarm fire was sounded from Box 126 at Jackson and Beaver Streets.
On May 11, 1934, Rescue fireman Walter Hugentugler dies. Hugentugler died as a result of injuries sustained on May 8, 1934 when he slipped under apparatus in front of the Rex fire station and had his right leg broken and his left hip dislocated. The apparatus was responding to a fire alarm from Box 138 at College Avenue and Hartley Street.
On June 22, 1950, the Rex places a squad truck in service. The unit answers all alarms of fire throughout the city.
On February 25, 1971, Firefighter Donald Harrison killed. While returning to the station from a training exercise, a large tree fell across the cab of the tractor-drawn aerial ladder truck Harrison was riding in, pinning him to the back of the cab. Harrison died later that evening at the hospital.