Who we are
As with any all volunteer department, we are made up of men and women from all walks of life. We have business owners, general laborers and even others who serve full-time in the emergency services field. Currently, we have a full roster of 30 people; 28 men & 1 woman.
FAQ
As with any all volunteer department, we are made up of men and women from all walks of life. We have business owners, general laborers and even others who serve full-time in the emergency services field. Currently, we have a full roster of 30 people; 28 men & 1 woman.
It's not uncommon for the everday citizen to wonder about the department. We understand that and we hope to answer a few questions right here. If not, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Q: Do you have a ladder truck?
A: No, we don't. But there are other departments with ladder trucks in very close proximity.
Q: When are you on duty?
A: An all volunteer department such as ours means that we are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Q: When the siren sounds, what does that mean?
A: Years ago, the siren was used to alert the firefighters of an emergency. Over time, technological advances allowed firefighters to carry pagers on their belts. Today, our local siren is strictly used for tornado warnings. A solid and constant 30 second tone indicates that a possible tornado is in the area.
More questions? Feel free to check our in-depth FAQ here.
Our history
The fire department was started in 1887 by a group of local men who realized the need for fire coverage in and around the town of Churubusco. The members, known as Hoscart Company No. 1 learned from local firefighters how to save the nearly all wooden structures that were common during the late 1800's.
We're unique
Because of Churubusco's location, our fire department is presented with one of the most unique coverage areas around. At any given time, we could be dispatched by 1 of 3 counties in 1 of 3 different townships. And it's not uncommon for us to respond into two different counties at the same time.
Where we are
The town of Churubusco is nestled in the northeast corner of Whitley County Indiana. Allen County is only 2 miles to our south and Noble County is 2 miles to our north. Our station is located in downtown Churubusco on North Line St. We're located directly behind the police station on North Main St.
How We Respond
When a 911 call is reported to either Whitley, Allen or Noble counties, the dispatch center sends out a "page" to our pagers notifying us of the emergency with the following information:
- Type of emergency
- Location of emergency
- And any other specific details
No matter the time, day or weather conditions, we will respond to the station in our personal vehicles. Some of us leave our jobs, some are sleeping and still others might be at a special occassion that they leave to respond. A select few of our members respond directly to the scene in their personal vehicles.
Dependent on the type of emergency dictates what trucks respond and in what order. You can view a list of truck responses or stop by anytime we are there and ask further questions.