Delta throwback: Bill Grove led North Delta's first volunteer fire department
In 1946, Bill Grove became one of the first organizers of North Delta's fire service, growing it from six firefighters and a 1928 truck to a respected regional force.
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William Godfrey Grove, better known as Bill Grove, retired from his job as chief of the North Delta Volunteer Fire Department after 14 years, according to a January 1961 profile in the Delta Optimist.
Grove was one of the organizers of the North Delta Ratepayers Association and was appointed by the association as temporary fire chief in 1946. He was subsequently asked to form the fire department itself, starting with six firefighters and a 1928 model fire truck.
With no dedicated fire hall, the truck was kept in a private garage until Delta council built one on Scott Road. By the time Grove stepped down, the North Delta volunteer department had grown to 24 volunteer firefighters and two trucks—what he called "the best little fire department in the Fraser Valley."
Beyond firefighting, Grove was a tireless advocate for North Delta. He ran as a candidate for council and school board, though he wasn't elected to either.
