Fire Department History

The Monroe Fire Department was originally established in 1884. The first fire engine, a Silsby Steamer, was purchased in July 1886 for $3,500. It was first stored in a local livery stable. The steamer was a reserve unit by 1902. It was still in reserve in 1922. The steamer remained in service for nearly twenty years. Today it is in the process of being restored and is housed at Station 1. The Monroe Fire Department joined the North Carolina State Firemen’s Association in 1891. The department began as a volunteer organization and transitioned to a fully-paid career department throughout the years. Paid personnel are on record as far back as 1914. Also in 1914, the department had one two-horse hose wagon, one hand hook and ladder truck, and the Silsby Steamer with four hose reels.

In 1922, the Monroe Fire Department consisted of one fully-paid man, three partly-paid men, and 29 volunteer firefighters. There was always one man on constant duty for the department. The city population at this time was around 5,550. The fire station was located at the corner of North Hayne Street and West Crowell Avenue. The department had an American LaFrance combination motor truck with a 750-gallon-per-minute pump. It had a 40-gallon chemical tank and 1500 feet of 2 ½-inch hose. There was also a Ford truck with 1500 feet of 2 ½-inch hose and a hand hook and ladder truck with a 40-foot extension ladder. The fire alarm was operated by a switch at the telephone exchange. It would ring bells in the fire station, pumping station, and firefighters' homes. There was a general whistle alarm at the pumping station, and the fire bell would ring at the fire station.

Mutual Aid is a vital part of a fire department. It is used when more assistance is needed from other departments due to large-scale emergencies. This mutual aid was even evident in the 1920s and 1930s with the Monroe Fire Department. In 1928, Monroe Fire Department received mutual aid from Charlotte Fire Department to assist with the burning of Franklin Street across from the old courthouse. Mutual aid was also given in the burning of Benton Heights School. In 1939, Charlotte Fire Department also responded with assistance with the burning of two uptown livery stables.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Monroe Fire Department consisted of a Fire Chief, an assistant Chief, ten full-time firefighters and six part-time firefighters. Personnel worked 24 hours on and 24 hours off. The Fire Chief or assistant Chief was to remain in the city at all times. The department had two 750 gallon-per-minute pumpers and one 500-gallon-per-minute pumper. A 1948 Mack truck was one of the 750-gallon-per-minute pumpers. This truck was a first-alarm apparatus. It was equipped with a two-way radio, various hoses and nozzles, Scott Air Paks, and dry chemical extinguishers, just to name a few.

In 1958, the City of Monroe established a Fire Prevention Bureau. It consisted of three men from the fire department. They were to study all phases of fire prevention and establish a pre-planning program for buildings such as schools, hospitals, service stations, and others. The fire loss for 1957 was $40,610.69, and in 1958 it had increased to $49,979.75.

Today, the department consists of 8 truck companies operating out of six fire stations, a fire administration office, and a fire training center. Fire administration consists of the administration division with a deputy chief, training division chief, fire marshal division chief, 3 assistant fire marshals, an administrative captain, and an administrative assistant. The operations division consists of a deputy chief, three battalion chiefs, 24 captains, 24 engineers, and 42 firefighters. This brings the current funding staffing total for the Monroe Fire Department to 105. The operations division is divided into three shifts, working on a modified 24-hour work schedule. The work day begins at six each morning and ends the following morning at six. This includes weekends and holidays. The Monroe Fire Department responded to 7,631 emergency and non-emergency calls in 2025. The department currently holds an insurance service office (ISO) rating of Class 1.