From 1880 to the Present…The History of the Mt. Olive Fire Department
On August 1, 1887, Rescue No. 2, consisting of 25 members, was admitted into the Volunteer Fire Company with their engine “Little Giant”, horse cart, etc. The company was then divided into two bodies and one was designated Division A and the other Division B.
In
the year 1909, the use of hand engines was dropped and a new system was adopted. The apparatus and equipment consisted
of Hose Cart No. 1, No. 2., No. 3, Hook & Ladder Truck, and Salvage Corps.
This was adopted owing to the installation
of a complete water system over the entire village, with a pumping station at
the Mt. Olive reservoir, situated about 1 ˝ miles northwest of the department’s
engine house.
In
the year 1928, the City of Mt. Olive purchased a 500 gallon pumper, which with
the Hose Cart No. 1, No. 2., Hook & Ladder Truck, and Salvage Corps, now
constitutes the department’s apparatus and equipment.
This truck is the present Peter
Pirsch purchased for $5,400, bought over a three year period.
In
the year 1938, a water filtering plant was erected at the Mt. Olive reservoir. Electric pumps were installed which replaced
the steam pumps. The steam plant
was abandoned and in place of the direct pressure system, which furnished water
to the City of Mt. Olive. A 60,000
gallon elevated tank was erected on the corner of Second North and Poplar Streets,
furnishing stand-pipe pressure. An
auxiliary reservoir, which lies in Cahokia Township, was built one mile north
of the City reservoir. A six inch
pipe extends between the two reservoirs, and an electric pump at the new reservoir
is used, if necessary, to supplement the water supply to the City reservoir.
In
February 1944, Fire Department acquired an auxillary pumper from Civil Defense. Also, the Coal Miner’s Union donated a
used resuscitator to the Department. In
December 1949, through the medium of solicited money and donations from the
various organizations in the community, a new resuscitator was purchased and
operated by a regular assigned rescue squad.
In
September 1955, a pumper was purchased for the fire department by the City of
Mount Olive, at a cost of $8,019.55. It
contained a 500 gallon per minute pump, and a 500 gallon water tank as equipment.
In
1963, a used bread truck was purchased from the Sunbeam Bakery which was used
as a Rescue and Salvage Truck. The
Fireman’s Auxiliary donated $550 toward the purchase.
A
Chevrolet Pumper
was purchased in 1962 at a cost of $11,016.20 and delivered in May of that year.
This purchase was a combined effort of the Volunteer Fire Department
and the City of Mt. Olive. It contained a 750 gallon Tank, and a
500 gallon per minute pump.
In
1966, the fire department made its home in what is now the City Hall complex
at 200 E Main, moving from what is now the current (and soon to be old) Public Library building
at 111 W. Main.
In
1973, the Fire Department acquired a 2
˝ ton truck from the civil defense. A
1900 Gallon Stainless Steel Tank was added which cost $1500. The truck also had some body work and
painting done at a cost of $1329.29.
With
the City’s help of $6,000 and the Volunteer Fire Department’s balance of $2,366.66,
a new Rescue Truck was
purchased in May 1974. This Rescue
unit also doubled as a second city ambulance.
In
1981, the City purchased a 1981
Ford chassis from Putnam Wright of Hillsboro, Illinois. Towers of Freeburg, Illinois placed a
1000 Gallon Per Minute pump and a 750 gallon tank on the chassis at a cost of
approximately $60,000.
In
1985, the City purchased a 1985
International Diesel chassis from Wiedler Motors in Litchfield, Illinois. Again the chassis was sent to Towers of
Freeburg, Illinois for the installation of 1500 Gallon water tank and a 750
gallon per minute front mount pump. The
cost was approximately $85,000. The
old 1900 Gallon Tanker was sold to the Dorchester Fire Department for $1500.
In
April of 1986, the Mt. Olive Fire Department asked the voters to convert to
a Fire District. This was passed in the City of Mount Olive,
Townships of Mount Olive, Cahokia, and Staunton. The Mt. Olive Volunteer Fire Department
then became volunteers under the Mt. Olive Fire Protection District. A conversion was made of equipment to
the governing body of the Mt. Olive Fire Protection District which has a Board
of three trustees. This size of
the District at that time was roughly 37 square miles.
In
1989, the Mt. Olive Volunteer Fire Department started recruiting high school
students into a Junior Fire Fighting program.
In
2000, a grant was secured to begin construction on a new Fire Station
to house the equipment of the department, plus the Mount Olive Area Ambulance
Service. The building was completed
in late December of 2000, and the Fire Department and Ambulance service moved
its base of operations from 200 E Main to a site across from the Mount Olive
High School at 815 W. Main in January 2001. The Volunteers also spent approximately
$15,000 to build a matching storage garage behind
the station.
In
March 2002, voters to the north and east of the City of Mount Olive passed a
resolution to be annexed into the Mt. Olive Fire Protection District. This annexation of mostly rural area,
increased the size of the District to almost 64 square miles.
From
the summer of 2001 thru spring of 2002, the Mount Olive Fire Protection District
plan sent out specifications for bids to a number of manufacturers for a new
Pumper/Rescue to replace the aging Rescue Truck and the
1981 Pumper. A Smeal custom built chassis with a 1500 GPM Pump,
1000 gallon tank and rescue cabinets
was delivered in December 2002.
In May of 2003, a new tanker on
an International Chassis with a 2200 gallon tank will be deliverd to the department.
Engine 62
