Recently, the Mapaville Fire Association celebrated its 70th anniversary with a chili supper at the firehouse. The Mapaville Fire Association was established in 1952 by a group of local farmers that recognized the need for fire protection after several notable fires occurred causing significant damage to farmland and structures.
The founding members personally financed the purchase of a fire truck that was housed in a local barn before an actual firehouse could be constructed. These men volunteered their time and money to provide equipment and receive firefighting training relevant to their needs. Since the area was mostly rural farmland, the main concern was wildland fires that threatened the local farms.
Ultimately, the Association sold subscription fire tags and held bingos to finance the operations. The previous fire station was utilized by Jefferson County for years as a polling location until it was relocated with increased parking capabilities due to the increasing area population.
In August of 2000, the voters of Mapaville elected to establish the Mapaville Fire Protection District and the Association morphed from a volunteer fire department into a fire district with paid personnel. The new fire station is located at 3687 Plass Road and the public is invited to stop in and meet our staff.
Currently, the fire district has 21 paid firefighters, 1 volunteer, and 7 auxiliary personnel. Four additional paid personnel were just approved for hire with an additional volunteer. 3 officer positions and the fire chief are considered full-time with plans to add a full-time firefighter/EMT to the roster.
All the salaried firefighters are Firefighter I and II certified and hold emergency medical certification for medical responses.
In the present day, the Association provides funding and financial support for the firefighters and the fire prevention and outreach program materials for the district.
FFAM
