Department History

Beginnings

Late in 1949, the residents of the town of Castleton, faced with lengthy response times from the city of Indianapolis, banded together and formed the Castleton Volunteer Fire Department. The first meeting was held in early 1950, with the members having to take a firefighting test from the State Fire Marshal's Office to cerify them as a department.

Soon, the department purchased its first piece of apparatus -- a used 1936 Chevrolet front-mount fire engine. The department was then faced with the problem of where to keep the equipment. It was decided that members would take turns housing the engine in their barns and garages.

The department purchased a 1941 International tanker in 1951 that carried 2000 gallons of water to compensate for the lack of hydrants in the area.

1950s

In 1953, the department moved into a garage in the 8100 block of Castleton Road. The department remained there until 1955 when, due largely to the efforts and talents of the members, a station was built at 6816 E. 82nd Street. This station originally consisted of two equipment bays, a kitchen, and a meeting room.

Dispatching was done by telephone with a "fire phone" that rang in four homes at the same time. After a call was answered, the fire siren was sounded and members would hurry to the station, get the apparatus, and respond on the run.

CVFD purchased its first new engine in 1956. It was an International front-mount pumper with a 650 gallon water tank. At this time, the 1936 Chevrolet was retired from service.

1960s

In 1960, a new Ford pickup with a utility bed was purchased and put together by the men of the department. The pickup was to be used for grass fire runs, First Aid, and Rescue runs.

The members of the department decided to incorporate as a non-profit corporation in 1961. The name was changed to Castleton Volunteer Fire Deparmtent, Inc. and a Board of Directors was elected with the Chief serving as corporation president.

Also in 1961, a change was made in the dispatching system when the department joined the Marion County Rural Fire Dispatch Service. Members were issued monitors for use in their homes and workplaces and the response time to emergencies dropped markedly.

With the town population increasing, attention was turned to medical emergencies. Ambulance service at the time was provided by the Indianapolis City Hospital, which caused considerable delays in responding. Because of this, the department decided to enter the ambulance service and purchased a used 1958 Cadillac ambulance.

The members soon began to realize that, for a growing department, more room was required. Work began immediately on two more bays to be added to the west side of the station. The work was completed in 1966. The department received a new 1967 Ford pumper with a 1000 gallon/minute pump and a 750 gallon water tank. This engine was purchased by the Lawrence Township trustee and leased back to the department.

The men of the town were not the only ones involved with the department. The members' wives formed a Ladies' Auxillary to assist the men in fund raisers and to bring food and drinks to large fires. The Castleton Ladies' Auxillary was chartered by the Indiana Firemans' Association in 1965.

As the needs of the community increased, the membership and equipment roster steadily grew. In 1969, the department received another engine from Lawrence Township: a '69 Ford tanker/pumper that carried 1500 gallons of water and was equipped with a 1000 gallon/minute midship pump.

1970s

As the Castleton area grew, more and more of the original members began moving further from the station, causing an increase in response time. To handle this problem, in 1970 Castleton brought on its first paid chauffeur -- John Mathews. Curt Justus, a township employee working at Oaklandon Fire Department and a volunteer member at Castleton, was transferred by the Trustee to work at Castleton. In 1972, Curt was appointed Lawrence Township Fire Prevention Chief.

The 1941 tanker was retired in 1972 and replaced with a 1966 Chevrolet capable of hauling 1800 gallons of water. It was originally a lumber truck that was converted to a tanker through the hard work of the department members. A 1972 Chevrolet ambulance was purchased as a second ambulance to meet the growing number of first aid runs. The department also received an Army 6x6 from the Department of Natural Resources to be used as a grass and field rig.

In 1973, two more paid firefighters were added to the department. The Township Trustee purchased an the increasing number of businesses in the district.

The Cadillac ambulance was replaced by a new 1976 Dodge donated by the Castleton Optimist Club. Two more men were hired as Chauffeur/Firefighters and the department was then able to provide the community with 24x7 paid firefighter coverage.

By late 1977, the department was starting to bring on its first female volunteer firefighters. They received identical training to their male counterparts.

The next few years saw more equipment added to the roster, including a 25 hp rescue boat, a new heavy-duty Emergency-One mini pumper for rescue, an air compressor, and 400' of 5" vinyl hose. The department purchased, largely through resident and business donations, a new 1979 Emergency-One pumper with a 1250 gpm pump. It had room for five airpacks and five spare air bottles. The Township also purchased a 15 kW generator to provide emergency power for the station. In 1978, a new Ford ambulance replaced the 1976 Dodge.

1980s

In 1982, the department initiated a program that was unique to the EMS field. The department started a paramedic program that used paramedics part-time who were certified through other EMS agencies. This program provided a 24-hour paramedic program for the residents of the Castleton area.

By 1983, the CVFD had outgrown the original 82nd Street station. A new fire station located at 7139 E. 75th Street (now Station 332) was built by the Township and opened its doors in June. The station has two equipment bays and had offices for administration, a sleeping area, and a kitchen. It also had a new member for the department arrive with it: a 3 month old Dalmatian puppy named Chief.

In 1984, the department had grown to a paid staff of 10. The department also hired its first paid chief: James Curseaden. Chief Curseaden was the volunteer fire chief at the time. In July 1984, the department hired nine additional firefighters, which enabled the department to staff all its initial apparatus on fire runs without waiting for a driver to show up at the station.

In 1985, the township created a paid Assistant Chief position and added five additional firefighters to the department. The volunteer side of the department had grown to 50 members. The department also purchased a computer to help keep up with administrative tasks.

The department's area of fire service coverage increased in 1985 with the addition of the Brendonwood and Brendon Way neighborhoods. This covers the area north of 56th Street and west from I-465 to the township line to the west. This year, the department responded to over 1500 calls.

In 1987, the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated that paid personnel could not serve as volunteers in the department. In conjunction with this, the Township Trustee and Advisory Board established the Lawrence Township Fire Department. This department consists of the township's stations, equipment, apparatus, officers, and personnel.

With the continuing growth in the east side of the township, Station 333 was built in 1989 at the corner of 86th Street and Fall Creek Road. The station was dedicated to David Edwards, who died in a fire in 1982.

1990s

In 1990, the department moved its administrative offices from what is now Station 332 to the new station north of Castleton Mall. The new station was built with offices for all the department staff. The previously all-wooded lot was purchased from the Indianapolis Parks Department.

The Lawrence Township Fire Department is now considered a combination fire/EMS department. Volunteers still actively participate and staff apparatus. The values that were instilled at the beginning are still visible in the department of today. All members of the department continue to show a spirit of dedication to the community and its needs in time of emergency.

The history of the department was compiled by Deputy Chief Morris Ratliff.