The Fairview Volunteer Fire Co. was organized in 1934 and chartered in 1936. The Charter members were Harry Keith, a school teacher, as Chief and E.C. Erskine, Assistant Chief, Wesley Wyer, Herb Jones, Mayo O’Dell, C.R. Haught, Chester Wilson, C. D. Talkington, Ralph Burns, A.C. Ammons, J.L. Haught, Gerald Summers, Raymond Hufford, Larney Frye, Joseph Parker, Merle Parrish, Jim Yeager, L.M. Wilson, and Guy Toothman. They first met in the old gymnasium on Madison Street. The fire Department started out with a 1936 Dodge fire truck. Its first fire was the bell tower at Haught’s Chapel Church. The tower was struck by lighting. Over the years the department gained members and equipment. In the late 40’s early 50’s they got a 1942 Ford fire truck. Lot of the towns’ people called this a parade truck, but from what I can obtain it was capable of pumping water. A accident happen on the way back from a parade, the truck was rolled over and very badly damage. It was repaired and repainted. In the late 40’s the department started the emergency car service. The department would transport the sick and injured to the local hospitals. The training the members had was basic first aid only. The funeral homes in the area also provided transport to the hospital when needed. The first emergency car was an old Cadillac Hurst from a local funeral home. In time to past, the department purchased a 1956 ford station wagon for an emergency car, this was not the first one. The level of training got better as did the level of patient care. The department, in the mid 60’s decided to try to buy a new station wagon to replace the Ford. The department sold cushions in front of the Bank of Wadestown on Saturdays. The cushions had businesses printed on them. The merchants listed on the cushion were as follows: The Bank of Wadestown, Norma Jeans Gift Shop, Fairview Pharmacy, Jake and Raymond’s Barber Shop, Yost & Yost Contractors, Rosemary’s Beauty Salon, Swiger’s Esso, Swiger’s Laundromat, Bell’s Market Grant Town, Fairview Furnace Shop, Blake’s Ashland Station, Fairview Bit Shop, Lucille’s Beauty Shop, Beef’s Place, Eugene L Wilson, Jo’s Grocery Store, Sue’s Beauty Shop, Lee’s Place, Solomon’s Market, Turnpike Confectionery, Wall’s Auto Parts, Curfman’s Garage & Body Shop, Curry Funeral Home, Nationwide Insurance, Chester G. Baker Agent, Vennis Restaurant, Hane’s Community Store, Haught’s Barber Shop, Devines American, R. J. Wilson Insurance Agency, Acme Lumber & Construction Company, Bell’s Market Fairview. All the merchants that were listed paid for the advertisement on the cushion. The department sold them for $2.00 each to pay for the new ambulance. It was purchased at Longstreth Motors in Mannington in 1967. The next engine for department to get was a 1953 Dodge 7 man cab. This truck allowed the men to ride inside away from the elements of nature. The 36 Dodge did not have the cab to protect them from the elements. The 53 Dodge was in service till the late 70’s. It was sold to Littleton in Wetzel County. On March 11^th, 1973 the department took delivery of a 1973 Ford F700 Class “A” engine. The total cost of the 1973 Ford was $28479.00. Dave Summers, Beryl Tennant and James Harker went to Iowa to pick it up. The truck was in service till March 31^st, 2000. The membership decided to purchase a Ford Van from Point Marion to replace the Pontiac station wagon so the first aid personnel would have room to work on the patient and have room for more medical supplies. This Ford van was sold to the Town of Fairview for a police car around 1980 when the department replaced it with a 1979 Chevrolet Wheel Coach ambulance. It was purchased from M&M ambulance sales. The equipment and the training changed greatly around that time. The use of better equipment and more intense training made the crucial link between the public and the hospital. The persons trained in first aid during the early inception of EMS were first abider. The named was changed later to Basic First Aid. Basic First Aid then evolved to a higher training called Emergency Medical Technician or EMT for short. These people that were EMT’s could then further there training to become Paramedic’s. The training took about 6-8 months at first. The ones that took paramedic training could start IV’s. Administer certain drugs and defibrillate a person in cardiac arrest. This advancement really extended the Dr’s eyes and hands from the hospital to the field where it could save lives. They felt the need to have a quick response fire truck. It was decided to purchase a 1979 Chevrolet C-30 as a mini pumper. It was purchased from Pierce Mfg. in Appleton Wis. at a cost of $40,000.00.   It has all the capabilities of a Class A but is smaller and quicker than the bigger trucks. It has the Jaws of Life and vertical rescue equipment on it. In the mid 80’s a 1985 Ford Van ambulance replaced a Dodge van that was bought on matching funds from the state. A few years later a second ambulance was purchased. It was a 1986 Ford that replaced the 1979 Chevrolet van. In the early 80’s the department had it first paramedics. They were Rodney Blosser and Kasha Payton. Later on Darlene Gillespie and Joe Swiger got their license to lend a helping hand. Backing up a little bit, in the 70’s the department and Grant Town Fire Department got an army 6 X 6 from state surplus. The mines was on strike at this time and the membership constructed a tank to be placed on the bed of the truck along with a portable pump to make what was our first tanker of the fleet. The old truck served its purpose but in the wintertime it was cold since there was not heater in the vehicle. We had this vehicle till 1981 when we purchased a 1981 Ford L900 from 4Guys in Meyersdale, Pa. The tanker carried 2000 gallon of water, portable dump tank and extra foam. The need for a second Class A engine became apparent. In 1986 the department purchased a 1969 Mack pumper from Long Island, NY. Jess Toothman Jr, Kevin Toothman, Herb Clelland and Danny Barth bought it back to Fairview. Haun Fire Spire in Pennsylvania refurbished it. This greatly added to our fleet. It carried 1000 gallon of water and 40-gallon foam. The cost of this truck was approximately $87,000.00. With this truck being used and costing this great amount it was decided in the late 80’s to start a truck replacement fund. This would help cut the cost of financing a new truck. In June 1999 we purchased a 2000 Pierce Class A pumper. It was purchased from Pierce Mfg again as was the mini pumper. The cost of the 1250-gallon per minute, 1000-gallon pumper was $ 280,000.00. We took delivery on January 25^th, 2000. The members that went to accept it were Jess Toothman Jr, Jess Toothman Sr, Kevin Toothman and Beryl Tennant. In late 2001 the department decided to replace both ambulances with a new one. It was a 2002 Ford ambulance; the cost was around $90,000.00. During early 2000’s the department got back the old 1936 Dodge fire truck that was given to the Lion’s Club. They wanted to refurbish it for parades. It had sit for 10 plus year prior to that waiting to be done. We got it back and it was a big project for us to complete. We completely stripped it of paint, and the running boards were in the  need of  major work on also. During the time of restoration, we repaired the brake system, redone the motor and the lights and wiring. It was repainted with all the original stripping and scrolls that was put on it when originally built. It is now housed in the station along with the other apparatus. It does make a few parades during the year. The fire department also owned a Teen Center located on Main Street next to the bridge, that Norma Jean Yost bought for her dress shop. It was sold to Bobbie Jo Yost February 13,1972. During the early years of the department the trucks and ambulance was housed at the town hall. This was till 1974 when the membership and town’s people got together and built what is now the fire department. It was only a single story. We needed a place for the towns people to have receptions and parties and the big thing a place for us to have a dining hall to raise money for the department this was done the last part of the late 70’s. In the mid 80’s we were in need of office space and meeting rooms so the second story was built. This made a quite a big structure.

            Some of the past Fire Chief’s are as follows: Larney Gump, L.M. Abe Wilson, Joe Parrish, Andy Haught, Dave Summers, Jesse Toothman Sr, Thomas Barth, David Summers, Etley Robinson, Beryl Tennant.