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The Need for a Well-Equipped Fire Department - A Brief History
Because of the fire of January 30, 1951 which virtually leveled a portion of the town of Fancy Farm, the town council made every effort to start a fire department.
On June 4, of 1951, a motion was made by Tom Spalding to discuss the matter of bonding the town for $10,000 in order to purchase a fire truck. Papers were filed; however, according to the Municipal Bond Corporation, the town could not borrow more than $3900.
Though efforts continued, it wasn’t until May, 1957, that a wagon and ladders were acquired for a fire truck. It was a large tank for water on a wagon and needed four men to continually pump the handles. The truck was kept in the agriculture building which is located behind the lunchroom of the school.
On April 11, 1960, a home owned by Leonard and Lettie Carrico caught fire. The home was large, housing four apartments, one of which was occupied by Curtis “Ted” and Violet Carrico Hobbs and their eleven children.
The fire, which started from a neighbor’s burning trash, moved quickly as it raced across the grass and into a coal shed which soon was super-heated. While the fireman were hooking up hoses, the fire raged and soon was out of control. Somehow the truck became wedged between the stretched hose. Unable to move the wagon, it was consumed by the fire.
It was obvious that Fancy Farm needed a full-fledged fire department. Thanks to the efforts of several community leaders and donations from the community, a $13,000 Class A, 750 gallon per minute pumper was purchased. Also at the time, a new fire house was built on the property traded by Bernard Toon for the jail house.
The fire house, built under the direction of Harold Burkett, was approximately 26 x 40 in size and could house two trucks. There were some fifteen volunteer firemen under the direction of Chief J.W. Thompson.
The people of Fancy Farm were beginning to breathe a little easier now. Insurance rates were lowered because of the protection the department provided.
Even with the finest and newest in equipment, there would be no protection without the brave volunteer firefighters. They take time to go to school, keep in training, are trained in CPR techniques and first aid and some have continued their training to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). All these men are on call 24 hours a day.
In all these years Fancy Farm has had its department, there has been no loss of life and no serious accident during the fighting of a fire. Our thanks to all those people who give their time and energy to protect, not only Fancy Farm, but all of the Graves County area.
by Mrs. Robert L. Spalding
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