Fire protection in the City of Bridgeton was "born" in 1819 when the Neptune Fire Company Volunteers was formed under the leadership of Chief Bevan. The Neptune Fire Company Volunteers continued serving the city until approximately 1840 when the Minerva Fire Company was formed. The Minerva Fire Company provided protection with a hand pumper called the Minerva, a horse drawn wagon and other man-powered and hand drawn apparatus. Another hand pumper called the "Bridgeton" followed the Minerva. Neither of these was preserved but were destroyed. The Minerva Fire Company disbanded sometime in the early 1850's. It is unclear if there were any other fire departments formed between the 1850's and 1877 when the first city fire company was organized. The Cohansey Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 was organized in March of 1877, and was located at the corner of Washington Street and Cohansey Street.

The first horses to draw the engines belonged to the Cumberland Nail and Iron Company. The horses worked around the company's plant and were nearby when a fire broke out. In May 1890 a LaFrance engine was purchased and the housing of the apparatus was celebrated by parade and supper. This apparatus was later motorized. The electric fire alarm telegraph system (pictured right) was turned over for use on December 20, 1893. Then in December 1894 the city ordered a hose wagon, and in early 1895 council decided the city should use its own horses and five were purchased. In 1898 the present firehouse on Orange Street was erected. Gradually motorized apparatus replaced the horse drawn equipment and the horses and stalls were removed. In 1920 a Stutz pumper was purchased and the hook and ladder truck was also fitted with an REO motor.

The next several decades were laden with numerous fires and emergencies that were handled by the Bridgeton Fire Department. Most were considered routine until the Bridgeton Fire Department experienced its first line of duty deaths on October 5, 1943 while on a mutual aid assignment in Centerton, NJ for the Shalick Mill fire. According to accounts from the Bridgeton Evening News, Royal Rainear, Harold Jackson, Assistant Chief Robert Mulford and Dave Meyers were on a hose line which was taken into the building to wet down smoldering ruins of the mill, when Rainear and Jackson walked into a grain chute, which hurled both men into the grain pit where tons of oats were being stored. Mulford managed to keep a hold of the hose and was pulled to safety. Meyers also escaped. Assistant Chief Mulford suffered serious injury and later recuperated in the local hospital. Rainear and Jackson were the first line of duty deaths for the Bridgeton Fire Department.

Then on November 2, 1949 the Bridgeton Fire Department suffered its third line of duty death when Lt. William Channels collapsed shortly after arrival at the Martin Corporation fire at the intersection of Irving Avenue and Bank Street. Lt. Channels arrived on location of the fire and took up his position at the fire hydrant on the corner of Walnut Street and Irving Avenue. When no pressure came from the hydrant several fireman hurried to the pumper to find the source of the trouble. They found Lt. Channels lying crumpled in the street with an unidentified pedestrian trying to give him aid. Lt. Channels was hurried into a car and rushed to Bridgeton Hospital but he succumbed before they could arrive at the hospital.

In the 1960's and early 1970's the Bridgeton Fire Department was bust with numerous fires, but the late 1970's and the 1980's saw a string of some of the most destructive fires in the history of the department. Included in these were the South Avenue School fire, Minots fire and the Owens Illinois tank fire. The 1990's and 2000's also saw their share of big fires including the Pearl Street School, Stotters Medical Supply, Tracy's Corner warehouse, Seibel and Stern's Clothing Manufacturing plant, Rosa's Pizza and 23 Laurel Place.