The History of the Fire Department
As a township and village, Middleburg Heights was served by volunteer firefighters from the early 1800s through 1945. The volunteer service started in pioneer times with neighbors and buckets of water.
Eventually, as people worked together, volunteer firefighting became more organized.
It started to modernize in the early 1930s, when our volunteer firefighters were housed in the lower level of our current city hall building, constructed in 1932.
In addition to building a new village hall and providing space for firefighters, the village council also asked voters to pass a $7,000 bond issue to buy a fire truck and equipment for the fire department.
In 1945, the village council created a professional fire department. Firefighters were paid $1 per hour for all fires attended and $1 per evening for time spent on duty in the fire station.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the department continued to evolve with the addition of a fire truck (1951) and a rescue squad (1954).
In 1956, a new fire station was built after villagers approved an $85,000 bond issue to pay for it. At this time, there were five full-time firefighters. By 1959, there were six full-time firefighters, plus the chief.
Firefighters took Red Cross first aid training in the late 1960s. By 1975, paramedic training was introduced and the department purchased its first advanced life support rescue squad.
In 1991, a wrap-around addition was added to the old fire station, creating the modern station we know today.
Currently, there are 26 full-time professional firefighter/paramedics serving our city, plus an administrative support staff.