GOLDMAN FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT

By: Bill Haggard

In May of 1951, a group of thirty local farmers and citizens met at the Community Hall in downtown Goldman to discuss the purchase of a 1917 Packard fire truck. The fire truck has been brought to a local junkyard for salvage. No one knew if the truck ran or not or even if it had the capability to pump water. The group contacted the Lang & Manning Company about bringing equipment out to check the pump. The truck was taken to Sandy Creek for testing and lo and behold the truck could still pump.

The fire truck was sold by the scrap yard owner, Frank Ives, for a total of $325.00. Each member present agreed to donate $10.00 each and the Central Farmers Club donated $25.00. With the purchase of the fire truck completed, the Goldman Volunteer Community Fire Department was formed.

In the mid 1950s, the Packard fire truck was replaced with a 1935 Diamond T fire truck. In 1956, the first new truck owned by the fire department was purchased. This truck is still owned by the Goldman Volunteer Association. Later a Dodge Power Wagon chassis was bought and converted to a brush truck. An 800 gallon fuel truck was purchased and converted into a water tanker equipped with a portable pump.

Twenty years later in January of 1976, the Goldman Fire Department purchase the second new pumper, 1976 International. As the department grew, so did its fleet of vehicles either through direct purchase or through the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The year 1976 was a major milestone in the history of the Goldman Fire Department. In that year the citizens of the Goldman area voted to form a tax-supported fire district and the Goldman Fire Protection District was formed. With the creation of the fire district, the sale of fire tags to the Goldman residents ended.

In 2003, the fire district was able to hire a firefighter for 24-hour shifts which greatly reduced the response time of the fire department. With the hard work of the employees and the volunteers, Goldman Fire Protection District House #2 was built. In 2007, the fire district was able to hire a second full-time firefighter.

On Monday, October 16, 2000, a major event in the history of the Goldman Fire Protection District occurred. The day was like any other day until that evening when an airplane carrying Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, his son and a campaign aide crashed north of the Goldman Fire Station #1. All passengers aboard perished in the crash. The incident lasted for six days from the time of the incident on Monday until the last person of the National Transportation Board left on Sunday, October 22. This is the most memorable and unforgettable call in the history of the department.

The following individuals have served as Fire Chief: Frank Ives, William Peters, Clarence Wagner, Sr., Frank Hediger, Jr., Alvin Marschel, Russell Poncet and Gary Peters. The current Fire Chief is Curtis Peters.

From its humble beginning when a group of 30 citizens pooled their own money to purchase firefighting equipment, the Goldman Fire Protection District now has seven full-time firefighters and a volunteer staff of twenty firefighters. The district operates modern and updated fire equipment out of two engine houses. The Goldman Fire Protection has endured and will continue to provide the high quality of fire and EMS service to the citizens of the fire district.