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Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Celebrates 65 Years Of Service
On Wednesday, Aug. 1, the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department celebrated 65 years of service. In addition to being presented with a proclamation from the Las Vegas City Council, the department has planned a number of events to celebrate the occasion. As part of the commemoration, a public service announcement (PSA) campaign, which will present 65 fire safety tips, has begun airing on KCLV Channel 2. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22, a special program highlighting the department’s history will air on KCLV Channel 2.
Although the department is celebrating 65 years of service, its history goes back much farther. The department actually got its beginnings in 1906, a year after the city of Las Vegas was founded. The Las Vegas Volunteer Fire Department had a station located along Fremont Street where the Binion’s Horseshoe parking deck now stands. One of the first pieces of equipment used by the department was a Model T Ford fire engine, which has been completely refurbished and is on display in front of Fire Station Five, located on Hinson Road just north of W. Charleston Boulevard.
In the mid-1920’s the department elected a new fire chief, Harold Case. With the growth of the city, Hoover Dam under construction and a new army base in the area (now Nellis Air Force Base) Las Vegas had the only fire department in southern Nevada. As growth continued, so did the demand for services. The department was dependant solely on volunteer members, who had to leave their regular jobs to answer fire and emergency calls. Some members had to leave their jobs as many as 19 times a week, which was a financial hardship to some. In 1942 members of the Las Vegas Volunteer Fire Department petitioned City Hall to create a full time fire department. With nearly 25,000 people visiting Las Vegas each weekend, members of the department were concerned for their safety. The Las Vegas City Commissioners agreed and approved the formation of a full-time fire department. An emergency loan from the State Board of Finance made it possible to hire the first 16 members on Aug. 1, 1942. The fire chief, Harold Case and one member were the first members to be hired, with the rest of the firefighters joining them in November (because there were no funds available to pay the men until then). The paid firefighters were assisted by volunteer members as needed for large emergencies. In the beginning the department had two older pumper trucks, a pickup truck and two civil defense pump trailers. The department answered approximately 450 calls a year.
Today the department has an authorized strength of 692 employees who work out of 16 fire stations and various other facilities including the Fire Alarm Office, Fire Shop and Training Center. The department has more than 60 pieces of some of the most modern equipment in the world answering more than 81,000 emergency calls a year. The department has an Insurance Services Offices Class One rating and is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Only eight fire departments worldwide have achieved such status, which means the department has the highest standards in rapid response for the public.
For more information on the department, visit the Fire & Rescue Web page.
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