Contact Info

Woodville Township
321 East Main Street
P.O. Box 121
Woodville, OH 43469
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Phone: (419) 849-2492
Fax: (419) 849-2399

Meeting Information: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Fiscal Office located at the Fire Station
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The Woodville Township Volunteer Fire Department

Historians believe that in the mid-1800s, Woodville owned a hand pumper, ladder wagon, and a hose cart. This equipment was operated by a group of citizens known as the Woodville Hook and Ladder Company. Records show that on August 3, 1888, this group of men turned the fire equipment over to the Woodville Council. The Village purchased land on Main Street to build a new town hall and fire station. In 1889, the building was completed at a cost of $2,062.

 

Woodville's first steam powered fire fighting equipment

 

Pictured Left to Right:
Charles Kruger, John Englehart, Mr. Crawford, Charles Keil

 

In 1894, a No. 3 hose cart was purchased by the Village Council.

In 1944, a pumper truck was donated to a scrap drive to help troops financially during World War II.

In 1896, a citizen's group formed a fire company which took the name of Woodville Fire Company  No. 1. They held meeting nights on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and adopted their own bylaws and regulations. Village Council purchased a 500 G.P.M. horse-drawn steam pumper for the department from the American Fire Engine Company for $2,505.

No further records were found until 1928 when a group of citizens met with Village Council to reorganize the fire department. The Woodville Volunteer Fire Department was formed. They adopted a constitution and bylaws, and became a chartered organization with the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Fireman’s Association.

In 1928, the Village purchased its first motorized piece of equipment, a 500 G.P.M. American LaFrance pumper for $7,050. This truck has been restored by the firemen to its original look and is used in parades. 

In 1937, the Woodville Township Trustees signed a contract with the Village of Woodville for fire protection in the township. The contracted amount was $300 per year for the service. Prior to the contract, the firemen had to obtain permission from the Mayor before the equipment could be taken out of the Village.

In 1949, Woodville Township purchased a 500 G.P.M. pumper from the American Fire Apparatus Company, and the Village and the Township began sharing the cost of operating the fire department.

In 1950, the old fire station and town hall, which were built on Main Street in 1888, were torn down, and a new town hall and fire station was built on the same site. The present town hall now sits on this site.

In 1951, the firemen organized a rescue squad and with $4,800 of their own funds, purchased the first rescue truck. This was one of the first rescue squads in the area.

In 1956, the firemen contributed $1,000 to the Village toward the purchase of a 750 G.P.M. American Pumper ($15,460) and $1,000 to the Township toward the purchase of a 500 G.P.M. LaFrance pumper tanker ($14,234). The 1956 750 G.P.M. American Pumper is not in service, but is used in parades.

In 1965, the Village and Township, with the help of the firemen, purchased a four-wheel drive International truck and built it into a grass and brush fighter. This truck proved very useful for search and rescue work during the big snowstorms.

In 1970, the Village and Township purchased a new custom-built Welsh rescue truck. This was one of the most modern and best rescue trucks in the area. The firemen raised funds and purchased most of the equipment for the truck.

In 1972, the citizens of Woodville and Woodville Township passed a levy to provide funds for the purchase of a 750 G.P.M. pumper-tanker from the American Fire Apparatus Company. The pump in this truck was eventually replaced with a 1,000 G.P.M. pump.

In 1973, the Woodville Village Council and the Woodville Township Trustees signed a contract which provided for the Village to house the fire department, and the Township to provide the operating funds for the department.

In 1976, the voters of Woodville and Woodville Township passed a 2.6 mill levy provide funds for the purchase of a new 1,000 G.P.M. Pierce pumper-tanker. The cost of the truck was $65,820.

In January, 1978, the department celebrated its 50th anniversary as a charter member of the Northwest Ohio Volunteer Firemen's Association with a dinner and program at Solomon’s Cronenwett Hall. The voters of Woodville and Woodville Township also approved a 2.9 mill levy this year to build a new fire station, township hall, and EMS quarters on the property located just east of the Portage River bridge off Main Street. Ground was broken April 25, 1979. The building was completed in February, 1980.

The fire department currently has many fund raising projects throughout the year including monthly pancake and sausage breakfasts, annual gun raffle/diner, and poker tournaments. Woodville and Woodville Township voters currently support the fire department by a 3.0 mill levy on their property taxes.

CURRENT FLEET

(Rescue 1)  2011 Horton/Spartan Rescue Truck

 

(X-2)   1996 Pierce Pumper

 

(X-3)   2000 International Tanker

 

(X-4)   2006 Pierce Pumper

 

(X-5)   2008 Ford Brush Truck

 

(X-6)   ATV