History
From the end of the 19th century, when running through the village streets yelling, “FIRE!”, and using bucket brigades with water from homeowner’s wells and the river to today, when the department boasts a state-of-the-art facility and equipment, the committed members have served Clayton and the surrounding area well with the equipment provided. In 1885, Charles G. Emery of Calumet Island donated a new Silsby Steam Fire Engine with 300 gallon/minute capacity pump. Over the next few years, another steam engine and a horse-drawn hook & ladder were added to the fleet.
The Village of Clayton installed its municipal water system, including fire hydrants, in 1899, greatly improving the efficiency of the fire department. Paved streets and the addition of a motorized Pierce Arrow 500 gallon engine in 1921 further improved the department’s response time and effectiveness. The next few decades saw the purchase of a few other vehicles, but the biggest improvement during this time period was the 1929 installation of a dial-code electric siren that worked through the telephone system. Fire protection was expanded to the rural areas with the purchase of a new 5-man cab truck in 1946, and in 1956 Clayton became the first fire department in Jefferson County to offer ambulance service. The 1960s saw great expansion to the fleet, highlighted by the donation of the fire boat “Last Chance” by JP Lewis in 1960.
Also added during this decade were a new tank truck and a Chevrolet station wagon ambulance, An emergency van was purchased from local dealer Schell-Dominy in 1968, and an outboard motor, boat, and trailer were also purchased that year. The Last Chance was joined at the dock by the River Queen, featuring twin 290HP Chrysler engines, in 1970 at a purchase price of $9000, and a new $11,000 ambulance was bought in 1972. Volunteers were outfitted with hand-held pagers in the 1980, making it possible to alert members to a fire whether they were at their paid jobs, at home eating dinner or sleeping, or out fishing on the river. The original, iconic Last Chance was replaced in 2003 with a new fire boat, also named Last Chance.
The department was raised to new heights with the purchase of a 100’ aerial platform ladder truck in November 2011. Today’s fleet includes: Two pumpers, 1 aerial platform ladder truck, 1 tanker, 1 heavy rescue truck, 1 airboat, 2 fire/rescue boats and, one utility vehicle (pickup truck). Of course, none of this equipment would do Clayton any good without the efforts of the dedicated volunteer force who freely give of their time to protect our homes and businesses. The Clayton Volunteer Fire Department commemorated 125 years of “Professional-Quality Service With Volunteer Teamwork” on April 21, 2012 with its annual banquet.
(Updated 2019)
The Village of Clayton installed its municipal water system, including fire hydrants, in 1899, greatly improving the efficiency of the fire department. Paved streets and the addition of a motorized Pierce Arrow 500 gallon engine in 1921 further improved the department’s response time and effectiveness. The next few decades saw the purchase of a few other vehicles, but the biggest improvement during this time period was the 1929 installation of a dial-code electric siren that worked through the telephone system. Fire protection was expanded to the rural areas with the purchase of a new 5-man cab truck in 1946, and in 1956 Clayton became the first fire department in Jefferson County to offer ambulance service. The 1960s saw great expansion to the fleet, highlighted by the donation of the fire boat “Last Chance” by JP Lewis in 1960.
Also added during this decade were a new tank truck and a Chevrolet station wagon ambulance, An emergency van was purchased from local dealer Schell-Dominy in 1968, and an outboard motor, boat, and trailer were also purchased that year. The Last Chance was joined at the dock by the River Queen, featuring twin 290HP Chrysler engines, in 1970 at a purchase price of $9000, and a new $11,000 ambulance was bought in 1972. Volunteers were outfitted with hand-held pagers in the 1980, making it possible to alert members to a fire whether they were at their paid jobs, at home eating dinner or sleeping, or out fishing on the river. The original, iconic Last Chance was replaced in 2003 with a new fire boat, also named Last Chance.
The department was raised to new heights with the purchase of a 100’ aerial platform ladder truck in November 2011. Today’s fleet includes: Two pumpers, 1 aerial platform ladder truck, 1 tanker, 1 heavy rescue truck, 1 airboat, 2 fire/rescue boats and, one utility vehicle (pickup truck). Of course, none of this equipment would do Clayton any good without the efforts of the dedicated volunteer force who freely give of their time to protect our homes and businesses. The Clayton Volunteer Fire Department commemorated 125 years of “Professional-Quality Service With Volunteer Teamwork” on April 21, 2012 with its annual banquet.
(Updated 2019)