Our History...

The City of Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department

The City of Jefferson was chartered in 1812 and is located in a valley intersected by wagon roads and trails that lead to Athens, Gainesville, Winder, and Commerce. 

Earliest Fire Department Organization

The first fire protection for the City was organized as a fire brigade, comprised of local merchants and residents.  Water for fire suppression came from business owners and City wells located near the current Presbyterian Church and beside the old Carters warehouse located at the intersection of Hill and Elm Streets.  There are no official records of when the first fire department was initially formed; however there are records of the purchase of a 1916 or 1917 Ford roadster truck to be used for fire suppression.  The vehicle was a modified Model “T” truck equipped with a portable 3 gallon fire extinguisher, a 31 gallon chemical tank, and 150 feet of hose. 

Water lines

The City of Jefferson installed water lines in the downtown area in or about 1914.  A large wooden storage tank to which the water lines were connected provided water storage. 

Earliest Fire Equipment

In 1923, the City purchased its first vehicle designed specifically for fire service.  This was a “Brockway Torpedo”, built by American LaFrance, one of the first vehicles of its kind to be manufactured for this specific purpose.  The vehicle provided the only fire protection to the City until 1953 when an additional unit was purchased and put into service.  This new vehicle was a 1953 Ford built by American LaFrance with a 300-gallon water storage tank and 500 gallon per minute pump.  The 1932 Brockway continued to serve the community as aback-up unit until the City sold it in 1972.  In 1990, the members of the fire department purchased the 1923 Brockway back for department to restore to its original condition.  The vehicle is still owned by the Department and is used for parades and car shows around the area.  The 1953 Ford unit was purchased by the Department after it was taken out of service in 1984.  It has been restored to its original condition by the Pickard Fire Equipment Company and continues to be used for parades and display. 

Fire Department Chiefs

J.D. Escoe is recognized as the first “Fire Official” of the Department, and is referred to in several newspaper articles as early as 1946.  Department correspondence refers to him as “Fire Chief” in 1950.  There are no records of his actual date of appointment. 

                Fire Chiefs               

                1812 to 1912              “Fire Brigade” (No official noted)

                1912 to 1944              Claude Y. Daniels – C.D. Kidd, Sr. 

                1944 to 1951              J.D. Escoe (Died 1964) 

                1951 to 1983              John Godfrey 

                1983 to 1997              Ralph Perry 

                1997 to 2003              Douglas Waters 

                2003 to 2005              Don Elrod 

                2005 to Present           Bobby Gooch 

Claude Y. Daniels was the city water supervisor who read water meters and ran the City water system after it was built in 1914.  Claude Y. Daniels and C.D. Kidd, Sr., also worked for Georgia Power Company, reading electric meters and doing electrical work around the City.  They did the wiring in the Methodist Church when it was constructed. 

They also kept the City fire truck running and housed it in a garage at the intersection of Athens and Lee Streets in what is currently the Sassafras Hair Salon, next to the Jefferson Motor Company’s back parking lot. 

Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department History

Mr. George Westmoreland was Mayor of the City of Jefferson when the City Hall was built on the corner of Athens and Lee Streets where “The Station” is currently located.  A garage was built on the east side of the City Hall to house the fire truck.  The 1953 Ford Engine continued to be housed there until it was moved to the New City Hall built on its current location on Athens Street.  The 1923 Brockway Engine was stored in a garage underneath the City Hall, along with the City’s street department equipment.  In 1971, the Standard Oil Company purchased the lot at Athens and Lee Streets on which the City Hall was located.  The City then purchased the Escoe lot on the corner of Athens and Park Streets, where it is currently located.  Both the 1923 Brockway and 1953 Ford Engines were moved to the New City Hall and were stored in garage space in the basement of the facility next to the police department.  The City purchased a 1973 Fore Ward-LaFrance engine to replace the 1923 Brockway engine, and the 1953 and 1973 engines provide fire protection services for the City until 1986.  At that time, the City purchased a 1986 Chevrolet FMC engine and the 1953 Ford engine was taken out of service.  Both these engines provided fire protection services for the City until 1999 when a new fire station was constructed adjacent to the City Hall and a second station was constructed on US Highway 129 north of the City, 2.5 miles south of I-85.  At the same time the City purchased two new Freightliner Engines and a new Freightliner Ladder Truck.  The 1973 Ford and 1986 Chevrolet were retired from service and subsequently sold.  In 2009, the City purchased a heavy-duty rescue unit to serve the needs of the community.  These vehicles constitute the equipment currently providing fire protection services for the citizens of Jefferson.