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| About Panther Creek Volunteer Fire
Department |
| The Panther Creek
Volunteer Fire Department was chartered and founded in March of 1990 by
residents who felt the need for for fire protection in the Kyles Ford
community and it's surrounding areas. Since all of the charter members
lived in the Panther Creek Rd. area, that was the name given. Times
were hard and membership was low in the beginning, with little funding
the department acquired an old converted fuel truck with a gasoline
powered pump and one booster reel. There were no facilities at this
time so the truck and meetings were usually held at s members home. The next few years were spent trying to raise funds and find a facility while answering calls. Around the mid to late 90's through a county wide grant the department received its first factory built fire truck and protective equipment. The truck which was built on a used chassis was much more dependable and user friendly than the fuel truck. During this time the members received their first official fire training. The late 90's started a major change in the department. Members started to recruit more help from the community and set out to acquire its own facility. The members found such a place on HWY 33 and voted to purchase it from Citizens Bank on a yearly payment plan. The site contained a building that was originally a store and had been converted to a home. Through hard work and many donations from the community, it was converted into a place to hold meetings and training along with one bay to house the truck. Operation was now on a roll, membership was up and the department was conducting regular training. In 2001 the department sought out to find a small brush truck to take some pressure off of the tanker truck. In February a 1986 Chevrolet 1 ton was purchased for this and another bay was added. The year 2002 brought about many changes to the fire service due to the events of 9-11. In November the department purchased its first Pumper, a used Ward LaFrance 1000 gpm suitably named Engine - 1. The facility began to undergo major renovation and expansion resulting in the station you see today. In 2003 the department received a FEMA AFG Grant and purchased enough personal protective gear for all of its members. The next few years saw the department continuing to grow and work to upgrade its equipment. This was highlighted when in 2008 we received a grant for the first brand new truck the department ever owned. A 2009 1500 gallon tanker. Through work and fundraisers the frontline pumper was brought up to speed with the purchase of a 1988 1250 gpm engine that of course took over as Engine - 1. The department has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, none of which could have been done without the great support of the community it serves. As always we are forever grateful and stand ready to serve and protect the citizens within the Panther Creek Fire District and Hancock County. |