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The Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department and HD South are hosting a free community event on Saturday, July 29, to celebrate 100 years of fire service.
The community is welcome to come to HD South, , 10 S. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, from 9-11 a.m. to mingle with Gilbert firefighters and get an up-close look at some of the town’s emergency vehicles, including a working fire truck and ambulance and the town’s very first fire engine — an REO Speed Wagon from the 1920s.
Attendees at the July 29 celebration are invited inside the museum to learn more about the history of the department and see some of the early artifacts and equipment.
All of Gilbert’s early firefighters were volunteers. The town launched a volunteer department in 1923 that lasted nearly 60 years.
In 1938, Gilbert got its first fire station to serve the town’s 1,400 residents. It was located adjacent to city hall near Gilbert and Elliot Roads. The multipurpose building had a jail in the back and cost $18,000 to build.
That same year, the Town’s volunteer firefighters and that REO Speed Wagon engine were instrumental in putting out a precarious fire at the Liberty Market grocery store in downtown.
Thanks to their efforts, Liberty Market was saved. It operates as a restaurant today, and its iconic neon sign along Gilbert Road serves a reminder of the town’s resilience in the early days.
It wasn’t until 1985 that Gilbert hired its first two firefighters, who operated out of the Rural Metro Fire Department.
Eight years later, in 1993, Gilbert got its very own fire department. It has continued to grow alongside the community ever since.
In 2019, Gilbert Fire & Rescue added an ambulance service and in 2021, the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility opened, a state-of-the-art facility for fire and police personnel to train and enhance their skills.
Today, Gilbert has 11 fire stations and 220 sworn personnel that serve more than 275,000 residents. This fall, the town will be rolling out its first all-electric fire truck.
Residents can visit gilbertaz.gov/fire to learn more about the Gilbert Fire & Rescue Department.
