Morton Fire Department History
MORTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HISTORY
- August 1881: A Fire Committee was assembled that included William Voelpel, C. Zediker, and Erastus Roberts who began talks to establish a Volunteer Fire Department in Morton, IL.
- 1884: In September, the Morton Volunteer Hose Company officially began under the leadership of Fire Chief W. F. Denne.
- 1884-1885: The department's first hand-pump fire engine and hose cart was purchased. The engine was a " 20-man Rumsey and Company No. 1 Piano Style Fire Engine" and the hose cart was built in Morton by Voelpel Manufacturing Company.
- 1894: Morton erected their first water tower (Brick) and installed the Village's first fire hydrants in the downtown area.
- 1914: A new and larger steel water tower was erected.
- 1926: Morton FD purchased its first gasoline-powered fire engine which was a 1926 Deluge Master Firefighter model from the Prospect Fire Engine company in Prospect, Ohio.
- 1934: The department began taking First Aid classes to supplement the fire training.
- 1955: The departments purchased their first 2-way radios
- 1956: Morton built a new fire station that is currently still in use at the corner of Adams/Plum St.
- 1957: Morton purchased its first rescue squad vehicle
- 1959: Plectrons were installed in firemen's homes to alert them of a fire call.
- 1967: Morton's Civic Building caught fire and some records were damaged or lost.
- 1976: Rural signage was implemented to identify resident's homes
- 1989: The first full-time Paramedics started in August. Six paramedics were hired to staff 1 ambulance on a 24/48 schedule. Morton's first new ambulance was also purchased.
- 1989: Basic 911 was implemented in the Village
- 1990: Enhanced 911 was implemented which improved dispatch's ability to identify the caller's location.
- 2006: The department added a second full-time staffed ambulance which increased paramedic staffing from 6 to 12 on a 24/48 schedule.
- 2013: Morton Paramedics were organized and joined the AFFI/IAFF
- 2025: Morton FD began hiring 6 full-time firefighters on a 24/48 schedule. The paid-on-call firefighters will still be necessary to better serve the citizens of Morton during emergencies.
(Researched and Compiled by Brian Antolik and Joseph Yerly)