About Us

1954 Fire Truck. Hugh Cole, Emil Vasek, Gus Novasad, Grover Shade and one not identified.

The Smithville Volunteer Fire Department is made up of a group of dedicated personnel that represent the diversity of the community. These persons work every call, every training, every meeting and every event to improve the quality of service provided to the community.

City archives demonstrated that the original Smithville VFD charter was drawn in 1895.  A second constitution and set of by-laws, filed in 1918, refers to a replacement of those in 1895.*

The first fire apparatus, according to the old records, was a fire wagon with a hand pump.  “This was not even horse-drawn,” said firefighter Hoyt Jenkins.  “It was pulled by hand.”*

*From Smithville Times 5/18/1995 by Lisbeth Zappler