History of Our District
Community Fire Protection District’s 63 personnel provide Fire/ Rescue, EMS, fire prevention and code enforcement, and public education services to over 50,000 residents in the near north county area. In addition, protection is provided to those who travel on two major highways, work in area businesses, or stay in area hotels. Services are provided to Overland, St. Ann, St. John, Charlack, Breckenridge Hills, Edmundson, Woodson Terrace, Sycamore Hills, a portion of unincorporated St. Louis County, the National Guard Base, airport fuel depot, and TWA maintenance facility at Lambert Airport. This covers an area of 12.3 square miles.
The district has three engine houses that operate two rescue pumpers, one ladder/pumper, three Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances, and a battalion chief. One pumper and two ambulances are kept as reserve apparatus.
Community was established as a volunteer fire department in 1927 and operated a Ford Model T chemical apparatus. The first recorded run was in April of 1927. It was a car fire at a gas station, but it was almost out by the time the Model T got there. By the fall of that year, enough funding had been raised to purchase a Peter Pirsch 500-gpm pumper—department-sponsored events paid for the equipment, and dues of one dollar a year. Fire tags were introduced in 1939 at $2.00 for homes, $4.00 for businesses. The cost had reached $2.50 and $5.00 by 1947.
On May 26, 1942, the Community Fire Protection District was formed but lay dormant until 1951, when the courts ordered it reactivated. That same year, a second floor was added to Engine House No. 1. In 1952, radio equipment was installed in all mobile equipment. Voters approved a .30 tax in 1953. Engine House No.2 was opened in January of that year. In September of 1954, Engine House No.3 was dedicated, and a fully equipped communication room was added to House No.1.
In 1954, the fire department and fire district became one, when the board of directors for the department sold all its equipment to the district and then disbanded. The district now operated three engine houses, apparatus, and employed 30 paid firefighters. This made Community one of the first paid fire districts in the county. The insurance rating of the fire district went from a Class1 0 down to Class 6. The district purchased a Seagrave 85’ aerial truck in 1955.
Community made headlines in 1964 when it took delivery of the first diesel-powered fire apparatus in the nation. (Globe Democrat) The Seagrave fire apparatus had a five-man cab, 1250 gpm pump, and produced 350 horsepower.
By 1970, the district had made more improvements and lowered its insurance rating to a Class 4. Community was the first fire district in the state to gain this rating. Ambulance service was also started this year after voter approval of an ambulance tax. By the end of the decade, two ambulances would be responding to calls.
In 1979, the district hired paramedics and started providing Advanced Life Support services, operating two ambulances.
Over the last two decades, the district has been able to make overall improvements in salaries, benefits, apparatus, and equipment. This has allowed the district to keep pace with current industry standards and provide a better service to our customers using state-of-the-art technology and training. The district is proud to carry an ISO rating of 3 and has done so since 2012.