“This station is one of the oldest running fire stations in the nation,” said Scott Hartman, Chief of Shelby Fire Department.
The Shelby Fire Station was established in 1872 and remains among the nation’s oldest in use. “The firehouse has been through a number of floods over the years,” said Hartman. It is located next to the Black Fork River, which makes it vulnerable to flooding.
In 1976, a building was constructed behind the fire station because there was a need for more space. The fire station is located directly in the heart of the flood zone, and that presents the station with a number of problems.
During the flood of 2007, it was reported that 52 inches of water was inside the fire station. The process of getting items relocated and out of potential danger takes time and effort. Hartman said, “We have to make sure that we get everything moved out of the firehouse and to a safe place because we have to go back and get the materials once the water has resided. This can take up quite a bit of time, too.”
With the multiple floods that have occurred in Shelby, the fire station has taken a hard hit. The bricks of the building are deteriorating and have become softer over the years. These problems also attribute to the age of the building. Hartman said, “The inside of the station does lack quality installation.”
The fire department is on constant call with 13 full time firefighters. Along with full time workers, part time workers are on call for emergency demands. Hartman said, “The part time workers are always on call for emergencies.” The department covers Shelby, Jackson and Sharon Townships, an area of approximately 14,000 residents.
The fire department receives mutual aid county wide with 13 departments. Hartman said, “We mainly work with the adjoining departments including Plymouth, Shiloh, Mansfield, and Madison.”
The department lacks funding for construction of a new fire station. Hartman said that preliminary drawings have been drawn up for a new fire station, however, until funding is available, that project will remain on hold and the department will remain in their original address.
