History of the Piedmont Fire Department (Complied by Assistant Chief Tracy Wallace – 2002)
1948 – J. P. Stevens Company formed the Piedmont Fire Department. Equipment included a 1948 Chevrolet Peter Pirsh fire truck and shop employees served as firefighters.
1971 – A 1971 Ford John Beam fire truck apparatus was purchased. It was kept in the mill parking lot.
1972 – Construction was started on a fire department in the old mill parking lot on Hwy. 86. The depratment has an ISO rating of Class 9.
1973 – The new station was dedicated, the first paid fire chief was hired and the department had an $8,000 budget and an ISO Class 5 rating.
1975 – A 1975 Ford John Beam fire truck was purchased.
1977 – Three firefighters and a fire chief was hired.
1981 – Construction was started on Station #2 on Golf Course Road. Three firefighters were hired to man the station and one fire prevention officer were hired. A service truck was added at headquarters and ISO rating was Class 3.
1983 – A 1983 Ford Boyer fire truck was purchased.
1985 – Three dispatchers were hired.
1992 – Three additional firefighters were hired.
1993 – New facilities were built at headquarters.
1996 – A new Ford 350 EVI service truck was purchased.
1998 – New computers for records, mapping and hazmat response were added.
2002 – Two Freightliner E-One fire trucks were purchased.
The department currently has 10 paid firefighters, three dispatch/firefighters, one assistant chief, one fire chief/administrator, one administrative assistant, 15 volunteer firefighters. The 2002 budget is $896,000 and the department has an ISO rating of Class 3.
