History of the Aurora Fire Department History is an important subject when it comes to federal and state facilities such branches of the military, city police, sheriffs, and fire departments. Aurora fire department has a long history with humble beginnings as a small group of volunteers, when the city was then called Fletcher, to now having 15 stations and being able to cover 155 sq. mi. and serve over 300,000 citizens of the city of Aurora. Plenty has happened with the Aurora fire department, making it set the standard when it comes to the Colorado firefighting community. Beginning in 1902 as a volunteer fire department, with only a few firefighters, the city of then Fletcher passed its first fire prevention ordinance, stating, “that no
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These changes, starting in 1951, began with the addition of a new fire truck. The new truck was an American LaFrance, capable of dispensing 750 gallons per minute. Everything they could throw at this fire truck, it accomplished exceedingly well. Another important detail, some considered the most important, was that the fire truck was painted red. All fire truck up to that point were red and white. Starting that same year, the city hired its first paid firemen to operate and maintain the department’s new equipment. From this point on, the fire department was getting away from being primarily volunteer based, to becoming a professionally run organization. In 1954, more firefighters were hired, bringing the station to be capable of 24 hour shifts and a three-platoon system with 2 men on each shift, accompanied with volunteers. The fire department soon moved into a more accommodating structure, the old town hall, in 1955. This has been a long lasting site for the department, as it is still being used to this very day as station 1. Also in 1955, the department received another new fire truck. This truck was even more amazing than the truck received only 4 years prior. This new truck, an open cab Seagrave, was able to pump an astounding 1000 gallons per minute. Its colloquial name as ‘Big John’ has survived to this day along the truck, however not being used on mission, but rather used in parades. The years following 1955, to 1968 saw three more stations open in Aurora and an additional 32 firefighters being hired. Following this, between 1968 and 1980, the city of Aurora developed twice the number of stations they created the years before, and quadrupled its number of firefighters at the beginning of 1980, the total number of stations had reached 8, with 217 on-line personnel. Afew years before this, in 1976, the Aurora Fire Department formed a rescue division, including paramedic rescue
These changes, starting in 1951, began with the addition of a new fire truck. The new truck was an American LaFrance, capable of dispensing 750 gallons per minute. Everything they could throw at this fire truck, it accomplished exceedingly well. Another important detail, some considered the most important, was that the fire truck was painted red. All fire truck up to that point were red and white. Starting that same year, the city hired its first paid firemen to operate and maintain the department’s new equipment. From this point on, the fire department was getting away from being primarily volunteer based, to becoming a professionally run organization. In 1954, more firefighters were hired, bringing the station to be capable of 24 hour shifts and a three-platoon system with 2 men on each shift, accompanied with volunteers. The fire department soon moved into a more accommodating structure, the old town hall, in 1955. This has been a long lasting site for the department, as it is still being used to this very day as station 1. Also in 1955, the department received another new fire truck. This truck was even more amazing than the truck received only 4 years prior. This new truck, an open cab Seagrave, was able to pump an astounding 1000 gallons per minute. Its colloquial name as ‘Big John’ has survived to this day along the truck, however not being used on mission, but rather used in parades. The years following 1955, to 1968 saw three more stations open in Aurora and an additional 32 firefighters being hired. Following this, between 1968 and 1980, the city of Aurora developed twice the number of stations they created the years before, and quadrupled its number of firefighters at the beginning of 1980, the total number of stations had reached 8, with 217 on-line personnel. Afew years before this, in 1976, the Aurora Fire Department formed a rescue division, including paramedic rescue