Fire Department
The Mogadore Fire Department was the first volunteer fire department in Ohio, established in 1921. It started with a horse drawn tank, a pump, and a ladder. In the late 1920s, the department had a roster of 24 members, all of them volunteers. At the same time, the department saw a large improvement due to the addition of a city water system and a shiny new 1927 REO Speed Wagon fire engine.
In 1948, a bond issue and public subscriptions funded the purchase of a Mack Bulldog fire engine, a truck that remained in service well into the 1980s. With the help of a few public spirited citizens and the Fireman’s Club, a 1940 Ford panel truck was also equipped for emergency service, and later replaced by a 1937 Cadillac invalid-assist car with two-way radio, oxygen, and first aid equipment.
By the mid 1980s, the department fleet grew to three engines, two squads, and a used 1965 ladder truck. By then, the all volunteer roster was replaced by 25-30 paid-per-call members, mostly basic EMTs with no advanced life support skills.
By the mid 1990s the staffing focus had shifted from an all paid-per-call roster to a part-time staff and call back department. Don Adams was chosen to be the first full-time Chief of the Mogadore Fire Department. Chief Adams served the department and the community in that role for 15 years until his retirement in 2012. During his tenure, our staff size continued to grow, with improved quality and frequency of training. In cooperation with the Tallmadge Fire Department, a confined space rescue trailer was purchased. Advanced Life Support capabilities continued to improve, and new Life Pak Defibrillators were added.
The Mogadore Fire Department continues to build on these strong foundations and proud traditions. We presently maintain a 1986 engine, 2003 engine, a 2016 ALS Med Unit, a 2012 ALS Med Unit, a 1994 75-foot ladder truck, and the confined space trailer. A pickup truck with a plow is currently used as a support vehicle and for snow removal from municipal and safety parking lots, the Community Center, and the lot at the city park. During heavy snow, the plow is used to access emergency scenes.
The Department has actively sought grant funding for equipment, training, and resources. We have received a $40,000 BWC Grant for new cots and loads systems for our med units. We received a gift from Akron General Medical Center of 2 new Life Pak 15 Defibrillator (a value of approx. $60,000). To promote interaction with our neighbors, we sponsored a multi-department regional grant request from FEMA, and in August 2014 we were awarded over $660,000 to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus for five participating departments. Programs like these let us work safely and efficiently with our neighbors. In 2018 we received a grant for and Washer / Extractor to remove cancer-causing materials from our firefighting gear.
We are also one of the first Summit County departments to institute electronic patient care reporting to hospitals, an improved system that improves reporting accuracy and completeness.
Please see the following letter for information regarding lock boxes:
Please see the following link if you would like to sign up for our CivicReady notifications:
Please see the following link if you are interested in applying to become a member of the Mogadore Fire Department. The link will take you to a fillable PDF version of our application.
Mogadore Fire Department Employment Application
Mogadore Fire Department
135 S Cleveland Avenue
Mogadore, OH 44260
Business line: (330) 628-5849
Emergency: 911