In the 1960s, Daviess County’s volunteer fire stations weren’t operated with a unified, organized effort. What they did have, however, were residents dedicated to public safety — even if it meant filling the pump cans with water before a firetruck was ever purchased. In 1974, construction began on 10 new volunteer stations, and the County’s Volunteer Fire Department has continued to grow and serve the community over the last 50 years.
In 1972, then-Judge-Executive Pat Tanner rounded up several community members to discuss fire safety.
Jim Edelen was in attendance that July day and was one of the people in the room with zero firefighter experience. Working in fire safety had never crossed his mind at the time, he said. But when Tanner asked he’d help get the departments off the ground, Edelen had one answer.
“I said, sure, I’ll help. I’ll try to get a group together. There was more than just me going into the community and talking to several people. We got together, and we started talking to different people, and the idea went over very well,” Edelen said.
Construction then began on the stations. Additional fire apparatuses were ordered, and the first fire insurance rating was secured a year later. Over the next 4 years, the new stations were built, 24 new fire apparatuses were delivered, over 500 radio monitors were purchased, and 450 volunteer firefighters were trained.
Edelen recalled going to train two times a month with exercises and other conditioning needed. He started off as a volunteer at the Stanley station and was often the first in the department, given he lived next door.
Because of his proximity to the station — which served 5 miles in every direction — Edelen said he was often the first to respond if he was home.
The early days were “mind-boggling,” he said. Fire records had to be entered by hand. Funding for the department had a portion of donations coming in with a $15 a year due for each home. He noted that didn’t take long for the County to step up and implement a more effective system for collecting dues.
Eventually, Edelen went on to be the chief at Stanley for 25 years. While chief, one thing he wanted to continue was the sense of community between the stations.
“We all got to know each other pretty well. Everybody pretty much had the same [motivation]; it was always about the community,” Edelen said.
On the other side of the county, Mark Luckett was getting his bearings at the Masonville station. Luckett said he got involved because his father, Luther Luckett, was the acting president at the time. Luckett recalled the Masonville station, which was officially organized in 1972, started building their first truck in the 1970s.
Lucket’s passion led him to serve as Masonville’s chief for 34 years.
“Whenever we come out and we’re able to save a person’s life or their property, everyone in the department then has a good feeling about it. They work together, they accomplish a task, and they are able to go home and not have something to dwell in their mind,” Luckett said.
Both emphasized that the two departments, much like the rest of the volunteer stations, are able to succeed by working with the community they live in. Now, they worry about the future of the stations, as they said there is generally a decrease in community care from the younger generation.
Luckett noted that they’ve brought in a few younger members of the staff, but more is needed for the stations to continue their level of service.
“Whether it be a pumper for a fire or whether it be an EMS run, you have to make sure that the truck is rolling,” Luckett said. “In Daviess County, we have a really tremendous way of doing things that are not accomplished in other counties. We’ve got to keep that up.”
