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History
In the late 1940’s the City of Chicago passed an ordinance doubling the service fees charged by the Fire Department for fire service outside the city limits. Included in the ordinance was a requirement of $125,000.00 security bond guaranteeing payment of any services rendered. Since Merrionette Park only consisted of 125 homes at that time they did not qualify for the bond, which necessitated the formation of the Merrionette Park Volunteer Fire Department
- 7/7/1947 a motion to Contract with the Blue Island Fire Department for fire protection was accepted for $35.00 5/23/1949 an ordinance was adopted in the village municipal code that created a village government that will be know as the “ Fire Department”
- 24 members started the fire department and all lived between 113th and 115th street’s and Kedzie and Whipple Street.(The original village plot) The first fire truck’s bought were a used 1937 White truck with a General body built on it from the Chicago Fire Insurance Patrol and also a used 1924 or 1925 AHRENS-FOX fire engine from the Berwyn Fire Department for $1,300.00. 09/26/1949 a building permit was given to the Merrionette Park Fire Department First station was at 3033 W. 114th Place. Dedicated on Sunday, November 13th, 1949 and cost $ 1,000.00 to build with labor donated by the fireman and ladies auxiliary. Building was 30’ x 10’ made of wood with a concrete floor.
- Sometime during 1949 and 1953 a used telephone lineman’s truck was bought and used as a fire department vehicle but no other info is available at this time.
- 7/24/1950 bill was paid for the purchasing of a fire engine for $200.00 from Unknown person.
- 8/27/1951 purchased For Sale ad in the Chicago Tribune for the 1924 or 25 AHRENS-Fox which was sold to the then new Northwest Homer Fire Protection District in Will County, Illinois
- 4/28/1952 The Police Department Bought a 1952 Ford Wagon for use as squad car and emergency ambulance from Lawder Brothers for $1,152.67
- 9/22/1952 approved the purchase of a hydrant pump for the fire department(unknown if this was a pump for a fire truck or a portable pump)
- 9/22/1952 motion to purchase from E.T. Mahoney the necessary amount of the property the village now holds an option on at 118th Street and Kedzie Ave. for the purpose of building a village hall and fire house.(Never Built)
- 11/24/1952 the village will assume the financial responsibility of the fire department.
- 1953 a new village hall and fire department was built at 3165 W. 115th Street on property owned by E.T. Mahoney. The old station was used as a garage and the eastern half was later torn down, building still standing.
- In 1954 after a heavy rain and wind, many streets on the south end of town were impassable. Water reached the lower window sills of the homes on Park Lane.
- 11/25/1954 approved the contract for the 1954 FWD fire engine with a 750 GPM pump and 500 water tank which was later sold to the Garden Homes Fire Protection District in the area of unincorporated Cook County near Alsip, Illinois
- 6/27/1955 Motion was approved that the village ok the fire departments program to rehab the old fire truck.
- 8/10/1955 Motion in the village board meeting that the Public Liability Insurance be raised from $50,000.00 and $100,000.00 to $100,000.00 and $300,000.00 on the old fire truck and the new fire truck
- 1963 bought a new FWD fire engine with a 1000 GPM pump and a 350 gallon water tank
- The tornado in 1964, although it was never sighted in the village, did leave some damage. The apartment building at 11519 S. Kedzie had the roof taken off by the high winds. Fire Chief Eggert called out to 14 surrounding communities to help with the transportation of the residents who needed help.
- 1967 bought a Pierce 30’ aerial on a GMC chassis with a 500 GPM pump and a 200 water tank
- Fire chief Fred Eggert brought the first ambulance, a 1967 International carry-all, to the department which was bought with money raised by the firemen themselves. (Personnel had to kneel the whole ride to the hospital).
- 1976 bought a Seagrave fire engine with a 1250 GPM pump and a 500 water tank
- 1977 bought a new Chevy ambulance
- 1997 bought new fire engine from KME on an International chassis 1250 GPM, and 1000 water tank.
- 2004 bought a used 1972 Mack/Pirsch 100’ aerial with a 1000 GPM pump and a 200 water tank, which was rehabbed in 1990 by Specialty Vehicle in Alsip, Illinois,from the Roberts Park Fire Protection District in Hickory Hills, Illinois.
- Also in 2004 bought a used 1991 Ford/McCoy-Miller ambulance from the Evergreen Park Fire Department in Evergreen Park, Illinois
- 2004 bought a 1982 Mack rear-mount ladder truck from Pennsville, NJ
- 2005 during a very hot week a major power outage left the south and west end of the village helpless, a 2nd alarm EMS box was called to evacuate the residents of the trailer park and the apartments on 119th street. Power was restored 8 hours later
- 2006 bought a new Ford/Road Rescue ambulance
- 2015 bought a new Pierce Dash(CF) 105' quint
- 2017 bought a used 2004 Ford/Horton ambulance from Crestwood, Illinois to be placed in service as a 2nd ambulance.
- 2018 Fire station is staffed twenty-four hours a day with two Firefighter / EMT’s
- 2018 bought a used 2009 Ford/Horton ambulance to replace to 2004 ambulance