Fire Department
Contact Information
Robert Boyd, Fire Superintendant/Marshall
Phone: 540-863-2516
Address: 701 Church St., Clifton Forge, VA 24422
Email: Send a Message
Overview
Clifton Forge Fire Department
The Clifton Forge Fire Department was founded in 1886 and today has an average of 39 firefighters and three professional firefighter/EMTs who drive and operate the engines. The Fire Department coverage varies from residential and business throughout the town as well as providing mutual aid to surrounding departments within Alleghany County.
Today, the Department apparatus consists of two engines, one equipment truck, one support truck, and our newest addition, a 2002 Pierce 105’ aerial truck. The engines are a 1992 Grumman pumper with a four man jump seat; it carries 750 gallons of water and is able to pump 1,250 gallons per minute. Our second engine is a 2000 Ferrara pumper and it carries 1,000 gallons of water and is able to pump 1,250 gallons per minute. It carries a variety of equipment from extra packs to brush fire equipment. Our support truck is a 2004 Dodge Ram 4-door, 4×4 pickup and is used to transport members to calls.
The first fire station was located in the bottom of Town Hall and the building that joined it.
After starting with hand-drawn reels, those were then converted into a horse drawn vehicle and the famous horse, George, was bought. Due to steep hills, a second horse was bought for the horse wagon, and they were used until 1915. The Fire Department bought its first motorized American LaFrance pumper unit, which carried 500 gallons of water in 1915. When motor trucks came, George was given to M.H. Pendleton with the understanding that he was to keep him for as long as George lived. In 1922 The Department purchased an American LaFrance Hook and Ladder truck.
The Fire Department remained in the fire house adjacent to Town Hall until December 8, 1970 when a freak accident occurred: a soft drink truck coming down the Jefferson Street hill lost its brakes and slammed into the front doors, causing the building to burst into flames. The Department lost its only pumper, and the ladder truck and all other equipment. Fortunately, no lives were lost. Luckily, a new 75’ aerial ladder truck that was on order had not yet arrived at the time the fire happened.
In the wake of the December 1970 fire, Fire Departments from around the State of Virginia donated enough equipment to allow the Fire Department to continue operations until additional trucks arrived.
In December 1975, the Fire Department moved into its present location at the corner of Church and D Streets. The 8,000 square foot firehouse was built with a bond issue at the cost of $167,700.
We have been in the process for many years to bring our apparatus and equipment up to today’s standards and we are making great progress with the recent delivery of the 105’ Pierce Aerial Truck.
We have wonderful relationships with the surrounding fire companies and work with each other all the time to protect the citizens and the property of the Alleghany Highlands.
