History of Stanton Fire Department 1950 - 1990
- Growth and Change - 
In January of 1956 a third fire truck, a 600 gallon
reserve tanker, was purchased for $250. The low cost was made
possible by utilizing a used truck chassis and the equipment
from the department's long useless 1926 Cadillac truck. An addition
was made to the firehouse on the south end to accommodate more
apparatus and the old original wooden fire house building was
removed.
In 1957 Fire Chief Lyle Wistrom again brought a petition to the
school board with twice the required signatures for consideration,
requesting use of the gymnasium for the Firemen's Ball. The board
decided to place the issue on the ballot again and at the March
election the issue was defeated again 109 to 96. In May 1957,
a Fireman's Benevolent and Protection Fund organization was formed
to raise funds instead of using the dances. The fund drive raised
$677 the first year.
CENTENNIAL
In 1970 the town of Stanton celebrated its Centennial.
Stanton Fire and Rescue Department observed the Centennial with
the purchase of a new 1970 pumper truck. The truck was equipped
with a PTO powered 750 gpm Van Pelt front mount pump and carried
an 800 gallon water tank. The pumper was built by Smeal Fire
Truck Co. on a Ford F 750 gasoline powered chassis. The Department
has also owned several other pieces of apparatus, including a
military surplus "deuce and a half" truck. This truck
was equipped with a water tank and a Gorman Rupp pump powered
by a two cylinder Onan engine purchased from Ed M. Feld Fire
Equipment in 1969.
In 1979 the department purchased a 1977 4x4 3/4
ton pickup truck for fighting field fires. The Chevrolet truck
had a 350 cubic inch V8 motor and a four speed transmission.
A Gorman Rupp pump powered by a two cylinder Onan engine were
removed from the decommissioned deuce and a half truck and a
300 gallon polyethylene tank was installed in the pickup truck
bed. The truck was painted red and ladder racks and equipment
storage added by department members.
In 1980 the Rural Fire Protection Association purchased
a new pumper built by Smeal on 1980 Chevrolet C 70 gasoline powered
chassis. It carries a
1000 gallon water tank and 750 gpm Waterous pto powered front
mount pump. It has one 1.5" pre connected cross lay hose
and three 2.5" outlets at the pump panel. The city of Stanton
then purchased the 1970 Ford pumper in 1993.
NEW FIRE STATION
In February of 1990 Stanton Fire and Rescue Department
met to discuss the possibility and the cost of building a new
fire station. They decided to approach the City Council with
an economical and practical building plan which could function
as a fire department and a community room. The building was to
be an all steel structured building measuring 60'x 120'. The
building would consist of five fire bays to house the trucks,
a 30'x 30' fire department meeting room, a 30'x 60' community
room, kitchen, restrooms, and an office for the City Clerk and
the Fire Chief. Chief Dan Shehan urged department members to
attend the upcoming city council meeting to show support for
the project.
At the February City Council meeting, there was a strong show
of support from the Stanton Fire and Rescue Department to encourage
the City Council to appropriate funds to erect the proposed fire
station. The City Council approved the project and appropriated
$40,000 for Fiscal Year 1990 and budgeted $30,000 for Fiscal
Year 1991 towards the fire station. At the May meeting the bids
were opened from two prospective builders with Iron Specialties
of Atlantic, Iowa awarded the contract for $52,584.00. Footings
for the new building were dug and poured in June along with other
preparations.
On July 7, 1990 at 5:30 A.M., there were over forty volunteers
at the site to help pour the concrete floor. By 2:30 P.M., 130
yards of concrete had been poured and finished. Materials for
the building arrived the first part of July and construction
began in mid July. By the first part of August the fire station
had been erected. The Fire and Rescue Department officially moved
their equipment in September with work still to be done on the
meeting room and the community room.
Work progressed all winter on the interior of the building. The
show of support from the community was outstanding. An estimate
of $80,000 plus had been donated to the building in the form
of labor or equipment. An Open House was held on Saturday, October
12, 1991 with Roy Marshall, Iowa State Fire Marshall, and Kenneth
Schenck and Lyman Anderson the oldest members of the department
present for the occasion.
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Site Maintained by Stanton Fire & Rescue Direct all comments to the Chief at stanton-fire@postmark.net