The idea for a new fire company was conceived and organized by a dozen property owners of the Fifth Ward of the Borough of Carlisle, who met in the barber shop of Mr. George L. Hoffman and there, on the 14^th day of March 1911, organized the Friendship Fire Company No. 5 of Carlisle.

The officers elected at the organization of the company were:  Harry J. Lease, President; Harry A. Lackey, Vice-President; George L. Hoffman, Secretary; and James F. Weller, Treasurer.  The trustees were Merkel Landis, Esq., John H. Kirk, M.L. Kuhns, and Joseph Straw.  The company was in due time incorporated, and steps were immediately taken to erect a substantial building as a home for the new company.

In January 1912, just six months after ground had been broken, the building was completed and ready to be transferred to the company.  The building cost about $4,000.00.  The building dedication was held on November 30^th, 1912.  The building at 636 North West Street was occupied by the company until the move to the current station in April, 1996.

The Friendship’s first piece of apparatus was an old discarded hook and ladder truck.  Their next addition was a motorized chemical and hose wagon, purchased on October 28^th, 1913.  On April 1^st, 1916 the company took delivers of an Ahrens-Fox triple combination pumper.    The fire company later purchased a Ford service truck in October 1935 and a Hahn pumper in March, 1936.