Franklin Lakes was formed as a Borough in 1922. Two years later in the Winter of 1924, the Borough still had no fire protection. On December 4, with a blizzard raging outside, the gentlemen citizens of Franklin Lakes held an open meeting to discuss the formation of a Volunteer Fire Company.
The mayor of Franklin Lakes at the time, William Valentine Pulis, spoke of being strongly in favor of creating our own department and Harry Gale McNomee of the Oakland Fire Department was invited to speak to the assembled group on the efforts necessary to form a fire company.
At the conclusion of the meeting, twenty-five men stepped up and became the founders of the Franklin Lakes Fire Department.