Fire & Rescue

At the end of 1989, the fire department and the rescue department were joined together. Beforehand, they were completely separate with many members serving on both departments. In November of 1989, the city hired its first paid fire department members to create a combination career and volunteer department. The first hiring consisted of a fire chief and a lieutenant who were directed to hire an inspector and three additional firefighters. All staff members, with the exception of the fire chief, were hired from the volunteers. This made the department transition easier.

The county contract was renewed on an annual basis until 1988 when the county decided not to renew the agreement. At this time, it was necessary for Edgewater to return the county equipment and purchase two Class A Pumpers as replacements. It was also August of 1988 that the first female firefighter was voted into the department. Until this time period, the department was solely male members and it wasn't until later that the charter was rewritten to reflect the change.

Fire Station #2 was completed in 1981 and housed additional brush trucks and apparatus purchased by the county to fulfill the agreement. The station was the fourth fire station that the volunteer firemen and their families had constructed for the city. That year continued to test the mutual aid agreement with large brush fires, including one in June. This fire was started by lightning in the Crane Swamp area west of Edgewater and burned for three months. The State Forestry took command, but many hours were spent by Edgewater’s volunteer firemen assisting with extinguishing the fire.

Two years of contract negotiation with Volusia County to form a tax district was settled in 1979. This district was titled the Greater Edgewater Fire District and encompassed portions of the county adjacent to Edgewater city limits. The contract was an agreement that the department would furnish the manpower and the county would collect taxes to buy the equipment to service the district. Along with the contract was a parcel of county land on Mango Tree Drive that was deeded to the City of Edgewater for the construction of a firehouse.

In 1976, the increase in brush fires lead to the purchase of a four-wheel drive truck, which was accommodated with a 200-gallon tank with a pump and a booster reel that was donated to the department by a local widowed doctor’s wife. Later in the year a mutual aid pact was signed with the Division of Forestry Services and the fire department received a used 500-gallon tanker in return. One of Edgewater’s largest structure fires took place in November of 1976 and started the workings of a countywide mutual aid agreement.

In January of 1975, the department assumed running Tuesday night bingo after the American Legion post gave it up. The funds earned were used to purchase much needed equipment for the fire department and EVER. In the early 1980s, select bingo games were held to raise funds for the purchase of computers for the Edgewater Elementary School. The teachers assisted with the special games.

In 1965 a new Class A Pumper was purchased for the department. Once the new apparatus was placed into service, the old Seagrave was retired from service. By the late ‘60s, the department again started to experience growing pains and plans were formulated for a new firehouse. Property was purchased further south - closer to the center of the shifting population. Ground was broken in 1972 and many hours by the volunteers were dedicated to the design and construction of the new larger firehouse. The volunteer firemen and their families again constructed the firehouse.

By 1959 when the Florida Shores development started to expand, it was necessary for the department to increase membership to 30 men. Other changes included more family activities for the membership because of the many hours firemen spent serving the community. During the ‘60s, the department started to sponsor many youth activities to assist the community in providing recreation for the area children.

In 1957, a Board of Governors was installed by the Town Council to run the community center. The department assisted the board in the selling of raffle tickets to be used to purchase air conditioners for the center. The first Little Miss Edgewater contest was held at the community center on July 4, 1957, and was later changed to include Little Master.

Since the meeting hall was running out of room, talk turned to building a new community center/fire station combination with kitchen facilities and public rest rooms. Mayor Lear suggested this to the community-minded members of the department and they mapped out a plan and later a building fund was established. Plans were made to hold a dinner at the Hawks Park Clubhouse in March of 1954 and sell tickets to raise money. The auxiliary was enticed into helping with the dinner. They baked pies and served turkey dinners with all the trimmings to clear a profit of $290.