In April 1948, a group of public-spirited citizens met in the Munroe Falls village town hall to form the Munroe Falls Firemen's Social Club, Inc.  Dissatisfied with the cost and quality of fire protection provided by a neighboring community, 50 members of the association resolved to provide the facility and equipment needed for a local fire department.

Community fund raisers generated capital to get the department up and running.  Funding came from personal loans, second mortgages, card parties, raffles, turkey shoots, bake sales, and door to door requests for citizens to pledge $.25 for each letter in their name.  A significant part of the fund raising was accomplished by the Ladies Auxiliary, which was formed shortly after the Social Club organized in April.

Funds were used to purchase the concrete blocks for the new firehouse, known today as the Carriage House, located on North Main Street at the railroad crossing. The Sonoco Paper Company provided the land to build the station for $1.00.  Throughout 1948, approximately 20 individuals worked side by side to build the station that would house the fire equipment until 1974.

In June 1949, the fruits of donations, civic involvement, community spirit, and a lot of sweat equity produced the fire stationhome to our first fire engine, a 1927 Prospect Pumper.  Several months later, a 1941 tanker was added to the equipment list.  Most of the early equipment was purchased secondhand or donated, and kept in working order for many years through the hard work and ingenuity of vounteers.

The Social Club and the Ladies Auxiliary continued to grow to become a focal point of the community; the new building doing double duty as a fire station and community center.  In 1949, the Social Club officially approved changing the organization's name to the Munroe Falls Firemen's Association Inc., a private, non-profit organization conceived to provide fire protection to the residents and industries of Munroe Falls. As a result of this protection, fire insurance became affordable to the community.

As the village continued to grow, so did the demands for firefighting equipment.  In 1955, the Firemen's Association placed an order for a new American LaFrance Pumper on a Ford chassis for approximately $8,000, with all funds for the purchase raised by the Association and Ladies Auxiliary.  Delivered in January of 1956, Engine 1 was a 500 gallon per minute pumper and remained in service until 1995.  In July of 1963, a new 135 gallon per minute Jeep Pumper was purchased for grass and brush fires.  An American LaFrance Pumper from Midwest Fire Equipment was ordered in February 1967 by the Association for $20,000.  This pumper has a capacity of pumping 1,000 gallon per minute and is still in service.  

During the 1950's and 1960's, the Munroe Falls Firemen's Association was considered to be one of the few all volunteer fire departments in the state of Ohio.  In 1970, fire protection to became part of the village government, following the police and road departments. After months of negotiations, the fire department became an official branch of the village on June 30, 1970.  After 22 years as a volunteer department, 24 firefighters were to receive $18.00 per month for training, and $2.75 per hour for each emergency call, and the village created the position of full-time fire chief.  After a long and fruitful stewardship, the Association handed over approximately $100,000 of equipment to the village for $1.00. The village was paying $12,400 a year for fire protection.

With continued growth of the village and the fire department, the community soon outgrewq the old station, and the village considered constructing a safety building adjacent to town hall. In 1972 a search was started for an architect and, in October 1974, the safety building was dedicated station and opened for the transfer of fire equipment from the Carriage House.

Since moving to the safety building, the community has continued to grow, and so has the need for the services provided by the fire department.  The Munroe Falls Fire Rescue Association, a direct descendant of the Social Club,  supports the fire department and the community by providing funds for fire education programs.   As in was back in 1948, community fund raisers including pancake breakfasts, car washes, and raffles are used to generate funds to support education and safety programs.

Today, the Munroe Falls Fire Department remains dedicated to the "Spirit of 1948" by providing the community, its citizens, and its businesses with the highest level of fire protection, emergency medical services, and safety and fire education programs.

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