The
Elmwood Volunteer Fire Department was
organized May 16, 1899 as a village fire
department. The Fire Department has several
old record books that date back to 1922.
These records contain monthly business
entries during the last eighty years;
some of the records are barely legible.
At most meetings people kept a roll call
of firemen present at the Firemen’s
monthly meetings. The Elmwood Volunteer
Fire Department register of May, 1922
listed the members of the fire department
as: E.T. Comer, H. Mollen, F. Prentice,
H. Tolhurst, W. Reeder, F. Gerbling, S.
Umphrey, J. Turner, J. Sterner, E. Cook,
O. Ring, Wm. Brown, O. Clements, E. Horton,
C. Peck, C. West, C. Schneider, F. Wall,
L. Dreamer, H. Linder, R. Reeder, Wm.
Simpson, F. Parish, C. Brekenfeld.
Today
the firemen meet twice a month. The second
Monday of the month is set aside for business
transactions. It is also a time to plan
fundraisers such as selling fireworks or
planning the supper for the Rim of the Prairie
Days. The fourth Monday of the month is
training night and a time to do maintenance
checks. They train on the use of air packs,
ladders, and all functions of the fire trucks.
Each
month a crew from both the fire department
and rescue squad get together to do general
cleaning of all areas of the firehouse.
Their readiness efforts are designed for
any emergency. Every year in December there
is an election of officers for both the
fire and rescue.
Joe
Williams organized the rural fire district
with the help of Chet Bornemeier, Orville
Lenz, Arlo Fleischman, and Myron Hollenbeck.
The volunteer fire department used one room
of the current city hall in the beginning
years. The fire station has been in many
different places. The fire station moved
from the city hall then to main street-highway
one- (current rural water district building),
and finally to the new firehouse on highway
one on the north edge of town.
It
is amazing how past firemen managed to fight
fires. Lots of changes have occurred since
those early firemen used their pre-1900
hose cart. Today firemen benefit from a
paging system and an enhanced 911-dispatch
system, which gives the address from where
the phone call is coming from. Today firemen
have trucks with ladders, hoses, and pumps
that put out over 750 gallons per minute.
Their personal gear consists of bunker gear
pants, boots, gloves, coat, and a helmet
with shield. They have an air pack system,
fans, portable generators, floodlights,
roof saws, chain saws, and the Jaws of Life,
which cuts metal on cars or farm equipment.
Foam is being used to fight a lot of fires
today.
On
Saturday, may 8, 1999 the firemen held an
open house celebrating their 100th anniversary.
The Elmwood citizens are grateful for the
firemen past and present who have faithfully
served the community. They are grateful
for the uniq
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 9:23 AM
their own personal risk, to help their fellow
citizens. They are grateful for the continual
investment of training time and for time
away from their own families to benefit
this community.
Next >>
