This is the home page of the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department

                           John Laing is the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department Chief

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The Chariton Volunteer Fire Department hosted  the Iowa State Fire Convention September 7 - 11, 2005.    It was a great time for all who could attend.  Chariton once again regained their title of the #1 VFD in the state.   You may obtain more information at the following web site.   www.charitonvfd.org

With the assistance of the City of Chariton grant writer, Linda Allen, the CVFD was been awarded an $84,000 Federal grant for the purchase of personal protection equipment.   This would include equipment such as bunker pants, coats, boots, helmets, tanks and spare cylinders.  They also have received funds from Chariton Community Betterment which will be put toward the purchase of an imaging camera. 

The City of Chariton has accepted the delivery of this 2003 International tanker truck, which has been placed into service by the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department.  This truck is able to carry 2000 gallons of water plus other equipment.  The original cost of the truck was $120,000 but because a demonstrator was accepted, the fire department was also able to purchase additional fire fighting equipment.  The truck will be paid for over a 5-year period through a General Obligation Bond and a $20,000 grant, which was received, from the Clarke County Development Corporation through the Pillar's grant process.  There are now six first line units available for use by the department with an additional older truck for use in town when needed. 

Old Betsy will undergo repair 118-year-old steam fire engine receiving a facelift The Article was Copied from the Chariton Leader By Bill Howes Associate Editor

“Old Betsy,” the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department’s steam engine, will be repaired because of some vital defects it contains and the repair process will take about two years. It was not used in the annual July 4th Parade this year because of some defects and will not be used in a parade again for a couple of years. Old Betsy, a Silsby Steam engine, arrived at the Chariton Fire Department in December 1883 after the old fire department and steam engine burned down in September of that same year and it was one of the larger engines, a number three out of four sizes. At the time the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department was one of the few departments that owned their own horses to pull their steam engine. It is now a parade and show piece and when it is used it is pulled by a couple of Percheron Draft horses owned by Don and Jerry Willis. It is housed in the old Hy-Vee Carpenter’s shop on Court Avenue. One of the defects it now has is corrosion of the inside of the boiler. An ultrasound was performed to find out how thick some of the metal on the boiler was. In some spots it was down to 1/16 of an inch, as opposed to 1/4 of an inch, which is what it’s supposed to be. It’s not safe to operate the boiler when it’s this thin because the amount of pressure it builds up could blow a hole in the side of the boiler enabling fragments to fly out and possibly injure someone. Chariton fireman Chris Fisher said the state of Iowa used to send someone to inspect boilers on a yearly basis but they don’t do this anymore because of budget cuts. However, if they inspected the boiler on Old Betsy it wouldn’t pass inspection, which would render it out of service. First the fire department will take the boiler off to find out how bad of shape it’s in and then it will probably be rebuilt or replaced. The rotary pump seals will also be replaced because they leak and some of the plumbing needs to be fixed. The bonnet, steam chamber and the middle plumbing are going to be renickeld to give the steam engine a silvery look and the frame will be sandblasted and repainted. Kevin Dorland, a heating and cooling specialist for the Hy-Vee Maintenance Department, will be doing some of the repairs and is helping find a person to fix the boiler. The repair project is quite costly and if anyone would like to contribute, they can contact the Chariton Volunteer Fire Department. The steam engine was rebuilt in June 1909 by American LaFrance Fire Engine Company in Elmira, N.Y., and by Werts Welding in Bloomfield, Iowa, in Jan. 1955. The main goal of the fire department is to restore the steam engine and make it historically correct. There is one main reason why the fire department wants to repair the engine and maintain it. “It’s one of four Silsby steam engines of its type in the United States that still actually pumps water. It’s such a rarity for steam fire engines to be around anymore,” Chariton First Assistant Fire Chief Brian Davis said.

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