Former Fire Chief Mike Harman, Fire Chief Chad Heckaman and Raymond Truex are shown with three buckets that hang in the fire department to honor the bucket brigade. The buckets were given to the department by Bill Bradbury, who it is almost certain searched until he found the buckets from the town’s original bucket brigade. InkFreeNews photo by Deb Patterson.

By Deb Patterson
Staff Writer

ATWOOD — Can you imagine only having six fire chiefs in 74 years? That’s right and it all happened in Atwood.

Past Fire Chief Mike Harman had documents kept by Frank Huffer, president of the town’s bank and former firefighter. In that minute book it shows the fire chiefs since 1946, when the fire department was officially formed to later years.

Handwritten notes about the early days of the fire department have been kept in a binder.

Those fire chiefs have included: Tim Rovenstine, 1946-1964; Allen Rovenstine, 1964-1980; Keith Hoffer, 1980-1986; Dave Moyer, 1986-87; and Harman from 1987 to 2017. Current Chief Chad Heckaman took over in 2017.

Reading through the department’s history, it was learned there was an unofficial fire department in the early years of Atwood’s existence, known as the “bucket brigade.” Documents show after the turn of the century, it was felt a more modern method of firefighting was needed. On a piece of notebook paper, handwritten, it states “Sometime after the year 1900 a four-wheel rig was purchased from Bourbon. It had leather buckets – ladders – pike pole, etc. It was pulled by men.

“The rig was stored outside by the Atwood Garage. In October 1930 – Halloween pranksters pulled the rig to the north part of town and put it beside George Yeiter’s barn – that night the barn burned. The rig along with it.”

The depression had hit and replacing the rig wasn’t a priority. It wasn’t until after the town’s biggest fire in 1939 that leveled the C.A. Rovenstine Store and the J.E. Smith Hardware did discussion take place on organizing a fire company. Again the idea was overshadowed. This time it was the war. Another large fire in January 1946, destroying the Atwood Elevator, speared discussion the third time. It was Feb. 12, 1946, a meeting was held in the school building under the leadership of Joe Rovenstine. The meeting was to organize an active fire department to serve the town and surrounding community in Prairie and Harrison townships. The fire department was organized and the officers were: Tim Rovenstine, fire chief; Carl Gochenour, secretary; Alex Klinefelter, treasurer; Russel Ailer, captain; and T. W. Swanson, lieutenant.

Immediate donations were accepted and the officers were authorized to purchase hand fire extinguishers, providing the first organized fire protection for the town. Residents in the community worked hard that year to raise money while the two township trustees budgeted for fire protection funds.

The first truck was purchased in November 1946 with 850 pounds of pump pressure. That truck was used until the 1960s. Their second truck came in 1959 when an IHS chassis was delivered to Lansing, Mich. Like the first truck it was also a Bean.

The fire department incorporated in November 1961.

Harman and Raymond Truex, two of the oldest members of the department, remember a number of interesting stories from the early days. Early on the fire siren was hooked into the telephone line. “We had 10 phones,” Harman recalled. “When the fire phone rang, it was a solid ring and then it also set the siren off.” Firemen would take off and everyone could go up to the chalk board at the fire station and see where the fire was. That worked for a while. “It wasn’t too long the kids realized all you had to do was dial the fire number and the siren would blow for three minutes,” Harmon said.

That was when the siren was unhooked from the phones. Then the calls went to 20 different phone lines. That lasted until one of the firemen had a barn on fire and was calling the fire in. But because he was on one of the lines, the fire department couldn’t be called.

In 1968 it is said Atwood Fire Department may have made the biggest mistake. Titus Funeral Home gifted a 1968 Cadillac to Atwood when funeral homes went out of the ambulance business. The idea was Atwood could start responding to accidents. “That was the biggest mistake, because we were the only one doing it … we was busy,” recalls Harman.

The fire department currently has 20 on its roster. All are volunteers. “It’s hard to keep people interested,” Truex stated. Harman remembers back 56 years ago when he first joined there was a fire almost every other week … “terrible to say, but that’s what keeps the guys interested.”

Today they respond to 10 accidents and to one fire call.

Unlike the old days, Atwood Fire Department feels it is very fortunate for the equipment it has. “We have a township and a half we cover. Two trustees that have been great to work with over the years. There’s truly a need for it, they find a way to get it for us and the budget’s always been fair,” said Heckaman. “We’ve been lucky. You hear stories from other departments having trouble. We’ve been blessed. Our equipment is up to date.”

Currently the department has two engines, one that carries 3,000 gallons of water the other with 1,250 gallons, a tanker with 3,300 gallons of water, a grass truck and a rescue truck with JAWS equipment. Funds for operations are received from Harrison and Prairie townships.

The department hosts several fundraisers each year – a pancake/sausage breakfast, chicken barbecue Memorial Day weekend. “The community is very supportive. We sell out,” said Heckaman. Truex added “I don’t know if communities are like this, but this community right here is a pretty tight community.”

You can’t talk about the Atwood Fire Department without mentioning there are a number of firefighters who have family members on the department. Of course “the whole fire department has been family. You get to know them, their kids. It’s always been that way.”