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Welcome Page | Home | History | Time Line 1932-1999 | Time Line 2000 to Present | Employment Info | Photo Gallery | Fire Department Personnel | Fire Prevention | Open Burning | FAQ's | Contact Us |
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Welcome Page |
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Home |
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History |
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Time Line 1932-1999 |
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Time Line 2000 to Present |
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Employment Info |
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Photo Gallery |
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Fire Department Personnel |
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Fire Prevention |
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Open Burning |
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FAQ's |
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City of Avon |
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Department E-Mail |
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Contact Us |
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Time Line 1932-1999 |
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February 1932—The Avon Fire Department is formed with 11 volunteer firefighters. They have a Peter Pirsch International engine, and are housed in a lean-to structure that is added onto Avon Village Hall at Detroit Road and Stoney Ridge Road. Edward Casper is named the first fire Chief; he will hold this position until 1945. March 1934—Avon Firefighters receive pay for the first time. They are paid $1 for emergencies, and are compensated for attending training sessions. Training is held twice a month, and firefighters receive 50 cents a session up to a maximum of $10 per year. May 1936—Records for the fire department are hand written logs, no actual reports. It appears that the first structure fire that the Avon Fire Department responded to was during this month, and is considered the Conrad fire. January 1945—Lee Hubbard is named Avon Fire Chief; he will hold this position until August 1951. June 1946—A new Ford/John Beam fire engine was delivered, purchased by the Avon Volunteer Fireman’s Association. This organization is responsible forpurchasing most of the fire department’s early equipment. They hold fundraisers, including dnaces, fish fries and carnivals. November 1946—The Avon Firefighter’s turkey raffle is held. This has remained an annual event for 60 years. January 1947—Annual report given for emergencies in 1946. There were 18 calls with a property damage total of $5,000. An average of seven firefighters responded per call. May 1947—A dodge emergency wagon is delivered to provide basic emergency aid. It carries oxygen for patients, but is not used for transporting victims. It is not until 1974 that the Avon Fire Department utilizes rescue squad for transporting patients. January 1949—A used fire engine was purchased from Perry Township Fire Department. This Seagraves engine was acquired to meet Avon Village’s needed water fire flow. A new fire station is built along with the rest of the municipal complex, which houses city hall and the police department. Located at 36774 Detroit Road (Now the Avon Senior Center), it was utilized ast he main fire station until April 2003. August 1951—Harold Smith is named Avon Fire Chief; he will hold this position until April 1975. January 1953—The Avon Fire Department responded to 51 emergencies in 1952. Most of these are field and woods fires. Two calls are house fires. June 1953– A tornado strikes Avon. The fire department assisted people on Kinzel, Stoney Ridge and Case roads. No fatalities reported. June 1954—First report of a dump fire at the former Avon Village dump on Miller Road. There would be several of these fires throughout the years, keeping the fire department busy for several hours at each incient. Many of these fires would be intentionally set. November 1956 0 First report of a fire engine being sent on mutual aid. The engine responded to a garage fire on Webber Road in Avon Lake. January 1957—Three house fires in one month keep the fire department busy. November 1958—Barn fires on Colorado Avenue and Center Road took place in a 48-hour period. December 1958—Self-contained breathing apparatus purchased. These air packs allow firefighters to go into smoke filled structures to extinguish fires. September 1959—New emergency truck purchased. The Ford station wagon responded to medical emergencies. November 1962—A new Ford/John Beam fire engine is delivered. A satellite station is built at Jaycox Road and Schwartz Road to house the fire apparatus, and to improve response time to the east side of town. January 1963—The Avon Fire Department responded to 65 emergencies in 1962. August 1963—A busy morning for the Avon Fire Department as a house and barn caught fire on Schwartz Road and two hours later, a barn caught fire on Nagel Road. December 1967—Two house fires hit Avon in one day. October 1968—The firemen’s association appointed prior hires. Hiring of personnel is now done by the civil service process. The fire department’s staffing is now at 20 firefighters. December 1968—A house fire on Detroit Road and a barn fire on Chester Road occur within six hours of each other. May 1972—A new Ford/John Beam fire engine is delivered. It is still in service as a reserve engine. January 1973—The Avon Fire Department responds to 55 emergencies in 1972. Included were 18 structure fires, 11 vehicle fires and 19 brush fires. November 1973—A new Ford emergency van is purchased. The van will carry rescue equipment for car accidents. February 1974—The Avon Fire Department takes over the ambulance service for the city of Avon. Burmeister’s Funeral Home ran the service prior to this. A Ford extra wide van ambulance is purchased, and members of the fire department take emergency medical technician training. A reserve Chevrolet Suburban ambulance is purchased from Burmeister’s; it is paid for by the Avon Firemen’s Association. January 1975—After taking over the ambulance service, the call volume jumps to 163 emergencies, consisting of 68 fire calls and 95 medical emergencies. Staffing is at 30 firefighters. April 1975—A small propeller plane crashes at Nagel Road and Tullis Drive. The occupant survives. August 1976—A small airplane crashes at the old Avon Airport on Nagel Road. November 1976—Donald Casper is named Avon Fire Chief. The son of the first fire chief, Edward Casper, he will hold this position until October 1987. November 1978—Two fires at Van Sickle Corp. (now the site of Parker-Hannifan). These fires were magnesium based, which creates difficulty for firefighting because it is water reactive. August 1979—A Chevrolet four wheel drive mini-pumper is delivered. This versatile truck is used for off-the-road field fires, and is still in service. March 1982—Purchased a 1982 Ford/Wheelcoach rescue squad. It is the fire department’s first modular style ambulance, allowing for more room for patient care. January 1983—The Avon Fire Department responds to 315 emergencies in 1982. This includes 61 fire calls and 254 medical emergencies. October 1985—The fire department increases fire safety talks to include kindergarten through third grade at public and parochial schools. This plays a large part in the rare instances of juvenile fire starters in the city of Avon. Over 1,500 school children received fire safety talks in 2006. May 1987—A small plane crash at Hilliard Lakes Golf Course claims the lives of all three occupants. February 1988—Frank Root Jr. is appointed Avon Fire Chief. He will hold this position until February 2006. July 1988—Busy month for the fire department with several field fires, and mutual aid calls to Elyria and Lorain fire departments. December 1988—One of the last big barn fires occurred on Center Road. As the city became less rural, the chance of large barn fires decreases. February 1989—Received first fire department car; an old police cruiser. It is used for fire personnel to attend meetings. June 1990—An FMC/Spartan fire engine is delivered. It is currently the second out engine. A Julian Street house fire nearly claims the life of the homeowner. A neighbor, John C. Gorey, pulled the man from the burning structure. The Avon Fire Department nominates Gorey for the Carnegie Award. He then goes on to win the national award for heroism. October 1990—Two house fires in two days hit Avon, one on Mills Road and one on French Creek Road. August 1992—The Avon Fire Department takes part in forming the Lorain County Hazardous Material Response Team. The entire fire department is trained to Hazmat operations level, with three members trained to Hazmat technician level. January 1993—The Avon Fire Department response to 381 emergencies in 1992. This includes 85 fire calls and 296 medical emergencies. September 1993—The fire department orders a Laerdal AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). Lt. George Kraus takes this opportunity to move the fire department into paramedic capable rescue squads. December 1993—A ford/Marque rescue squad is delivered. It is still a reserve ambulance. August 1994—A Detroit Road man was killed in an apartment fire. Caused by careless smoking, this is the only recorded fire fatality in Avon’s history. August 1995—A busy day for Avon firefighters, an early morning house fire on Oakwood Drive was especially difficult due to the outside temperature being in excess of 90 degrees. Two hours later they assist North Ridgeville Fire Department with a house fire on Otten Road. Several firefighters were overcome with heat exhaustion. A major storm hits Avon. The fire department responds to numerous hazardous conditions related to the storm. Though not classified as a tornado, a path of destruction is left on Detroit Road. February 1996—The fire department’s three rescue divers join the Lorain County Dive Rescue Team. The department currently has five rescue divers. A rescue truck is put in service. Purchased for $25,000 from the Rocky River Fire Department, it is a 1991 International. $15,000 was put into the vehicle to convert it to carry specialty rescue equipment. April 1996—The dept received another retired cruiser. It was used as the fire chief’s vehicle, and it is still in service. November 1996—A major fire strikes the Parker-Hannifan Corporation on Center Road. The million dollar fire is the largest dollar loss fire in Avon’s history. Avon Lake, Bay Village and Westlake fire departments assisted on scene. September 1997—Avon firefighters begin a fundraising drive to purchase thermal imaging cameras. These cameras allow firefighters to see in smoke filled conditions in a structure fire. February 1998—Two Avon School buses are involved in an accident on Colorado Avenue. Rescue squads from Avon, Avon Lake and Sheffield Village fire departments transport 12 children. Different buses took the remaining children to St. John West Shore Hospital for evaluations. All injuries were minor. March 1999—A US Tanker/Spartan fire engine is delivered. It is currently the front line engine. June 1999—Leonard’s Plubing on Lear Industrial Parkway is destroyed by a late night fire. The $400,000 fire is extinguished with the help of Avon Lake and Westlake fire departments. December 1999—A major fire strikes H&J Automotive. A $250,000 fire occurred after midnight was extinguished with the help from a ladder company from Avon Lake.
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