Kimberly Volunteer Fire-Rescue

Founded 1947

Staff - 25 volunteers and a chief

Apparatus - Engine 1 (1990 ALF Century), Tanker 1 (1986 F700), Utility 1 (1992 Chevy Suburban), Mini Pumper 1 (1995 Ford F-350 Mini Pumper), Car 1 (2019 Chevy Tahoe), Car 11 (1992 Crown Victoria

Kimberly VFR was founded as Kimberly Community Volunteer Fire Company in 1947, as a reaction to the Ponderosa Lumber Yard Fire of 1946. Previously, fire protection in the area had been essentially non-existent, and it had resulted in a total loss of one of the area’s largest lumber yards. A committee of World War II veterans formed and began gathering donations from community residents as well as lumber yards and other local businesses. A piece of land was donated by the rail yard, and a two-bay shed was built. The Kimberly Community Volunteer Fire Company was incorporated with William Roberts serving as the first fire chief, and the department used the remaining funds donated by the lumber yards and community to purchase and equip two pumpers: an American LaFrance 700 series and a Mack LF. A fire siren was mounted on the town water tower, and Mrs. Roberts began serving as the department’s dispatcher. To report a fire in the Kimberly community, someone would dial the switchboard operator, who would then transfer them to Mrs. Roberts. She would take the information and sound the fire siren, summoning the volunteers to the station, located just half a block from the Roberts residence. The department’s original roster listed fifty men, nearly all World War II veterans and most of them rail or lumber company employees. The department maintained a daily duty roster, and the mills, railyard, and lumber yards would release the duty members when the fire siren sounded.

This arrangement worked well for the fire department for the first ten years. In 1957, a bill creating Ponderosa Pines State Park was signed into law. Overnight, the lumber industry around Kimberly saw itself slide into bankruptcy, with the largest forests in the area falling under state protection and oversight. Many of the lumber yards and mills shuttered overnight, putting employees out of work. Several of the lumber yards remained in operation due to owning large tracts of forest outside of the new state park, and the rail yard remained open to support the lumber mills, as well as the industrial city of Clinton. Firefighters that had previously worked at the lumber mills in Kimberly now were having to commute to Clinton, Crescent Falls, or farther for work. They were no longer able to leave work and respond to fire calls, and the duty roster had to be abandoned. Response began to depend on whoever was available.

In 1965, KCVFC began to look for a new station site, deciding that they wanted a newer building with more bays and more space. They purchased the site of their current station and constructed a two-story block building with three double-deep bays. The department also purchased their first brush truck, a 1962 International Harvester with a privately fabricated tank and pump. Their membership wavered lower than it had been at the department’s peak, dipping down to around 30 men.

Two years later in 1967, the department replaced their aging Mack pumper with a 1965 American LaFrance 900 series. They moved their original LaFrance engine to reserve status and sold the Mack. In 1970, the department acquired their first chief’s car, a surplus Chevrolet Impala from Saratoga State Police. The department scraped by throughout the next several decades, with nothing of note happening until December of 1980.

On Christmas Eve 1980, a prominent businessman from Fort Shannon was traveling through Kimberly on his way home from an out of town business trip. He struck a patch of black ice on Tall Pine Road, losing control of his vehicle and striking a tree. When Kimberly Community VFC arrived on scene, they found the businessman to be entrapped. They called for Shiloh County Fire Department to respond with extrication equipment, but due to snowy conditions and the distance, it took over thirty minutes for SCFD Rescue 2 to arrive on scene. The businessman tragically died while Kimberly CVFC tried to cut him out with hand tools during the wait for SCFD assistance. The next year, the businessman’s family donated a 1966 Maxim rescue truck. The donation also included a HURST Model JL-32 Jaws of Life. This was the first set of hydraulic extrication equipment in Shiloh County east of Oxnard town limits.

In 1979, the department replaced the Internal Harvester brush truck with a Dodge pickup with a privately fabricated skid unit. In 1985, the fire department changed their name to Kimberly Volunteer Fire-Rescue, choosing to move away from the Fire Company name. In 1986, the department purchased their a tanker. It was home-built on a 1984 Ford F700 by members of the department. 

In 1988, Kimberly VFR experienced their first and to-date only line of duty death. Two firemen were responding to a woods fire in the 1947 LaFrance reserve engine when they lost control and rolled the vehicle, killing them both. Shiloh County FD responded to the accident due to Kimberly being tied up with the woods fire. Both firemen were deceased when Shiloh County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived on scene. In 1990, the department purchased an engine to replace the destroyed LaFrance. They chose to remain with ALF and purchased a 1990 American LaFrance Century. It was placed into frontline service and the 1965 American LaFrance was donated to the Saratoga State Fire Museum.

In 1995, the department replaced the brush truck with an F series rescue body minipumper. In 1998, the department purchased a 1992 Suburban for use as a utility truck and a 1992 Ford Crown Victoria to replace the aging chief's car. In 2018, the department purchased their newest apparatus, a 2019 Chevy Tahoe chief’s car. Recent years have seen the department struggling to fill seats on the apparatus, with fewer and fewer young people showing interest in the volunteer fire service. The membership continues to age, but continue to provide the best service they are capable of.