Proudly Serving for 75 Years

With a modest entry into a log book on September 24, 1945, then Fire Chief Carl S. Bates unknowingly launched a legacy of service to the community of Middleburg Heights. The following year our primarily volunteer department responded to 17 fire related incidents.  Today, the Middleburg Heights Fire Department is a modern career fire department staffed by twenty-seven firefighter / paramedics and two administrative staff members. As one of the busiest fire stations in Cuyahoga County the department responds to over 3,400 runs annually. Over 80% of annual runs are medical type emergencies with the remaining 20% being fire, rescue, technical and service related. The Middleburg Heights Fire Department also performs fire safety inspections, fire safety education and offers the community CPR, AED and fire extinguisher training.

The Middleburg Heights Fire Department further serves and protects the community through a regional collaborative effort referred to as the Southwest Emergency Response Team (SERT). The SERT Team is composed of 21 local communities and is designed to address specialty type incidents such as hazardous materials, water rescue, rope rescue, trench rescue and arson investigation. As part of this regional collaborative seven Middleburg Heights Firefighters receive specialized training in their respective discipline and take part in additional training and responses within the region.

The current pandemic environment has once again required a change in the way in which we serve our community. Supported by strong city leadership and an essential partnership with Southwest General Hospital the fire department actively seeks to help the community recover, thrive and ensure a more healthy and resilient future.

While the fire department’s structure and responsibilities have dramatically changed over 75 years, one aspect has simply not changed. It has been our pleasure to serve the community for 75 years and we look forward to proudly serving the community for another 75 years to come!