YESTERDAY
The Merrimac Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1952 by a group of men who saw the need for fire protection in the Village of Merrimac and surrounding area. This group operated out of a station with 1 bay that housed 1 truck, a 1954 Stoughton. In 1964 the Village of Merrimac, Town of Merrimac, and the Town of Caledonia formed the Merrimac Area Fire Protection District. This included purchasing the existing equipment from the volunteers, building a new 5 bay station, adding more equipment, and contracting with the volunteer department to continue providing fire protection. In 1979 firefighters took on the additional task for the district of responding as 1st Responders to provide emergency medical care prior to the arrival of the ambulance. In 1991 the Merrimac Volunteer Fire Department reorganized into Merrimac Fire & Rescue Inc., continuing as a volunteer organization. In 1999 the district remodeled the existing fire station to add more office, meeting, and storage space plus added 4 bays for the larger trucks.
The Merrimac Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1952 by a group of men who saw the need for fire protection in the Village of Merrimac and surrounding area. This group operated out of a station with 1 bay that housed 1 truck, a 1954 Stoughton. In 1964 the Village of Merrimac, Town of Merrimac, and the Town of Caledonia formed the Merrimac Area Fire Protection District. This included purchasing the existing equipment from the volunteers, building a new 5 bay station, adding more equipment, and contracting with the volunteer department to continue providing fire protection. In 1979 firefighters took on the additional task for the district of responding as 1st Responders to provide emergency medical care prior to the arrival of the ambulance. In 1991 the Merrimac Volunteer Fire Department reorganized into Merrimac Fire & Rescue Inc., continuing as a volunteer organization. In 1999 the district remodeled the existing fire station to add more office, meeting, and storage space plus added 4 bays for the larger trucks.
TODAY
Merrimac Fire & Rescue Inc. continues to operate as a volunteer department providing fire, 1st responder, and rescue services to the Merrimac Fire Protection District with a roster of 25 dedicated men and women from the community. Our district covers 26 sq miles of mostly rural farm and recreational land with subdivisions spread along Lake Wisconsin and the village of just under 500 people and an overall population of approximately 2500 permanent residents. We also serve a large influx of tourists every year that visit Devils Lake state park, Devils Head ski and golf resort, and Lake Wisconsin / Wisconsin River. We respond to around 120 calls per year, 80% of which are 1st responder medical calls.
Merrimac Fire & Rescue Inc. continues to operate as a volunteer department providing fire, 1st responder, and rescue services to the Merrimac Fire Protection District with a roster of 25 dedicated men and women from the community. Our district covers 26 sq miles of mostly rural farm and recreational land with subdivisions spread along Lake Wisconsin and the village of just under 500 people and an overall population of approximately 2500 permanent residents. We also serve a large influx of tourists every year that visit Devils Lake state park, Devils Head ski and golf resort, and Lake Wisconsin / Wisconsin River. We respond to around 120 calls per year, 80% of which are 1st responder medical calls.
