The Geyserville Volunteer Fire Department had its beginnings about 1915, the same time the
first water mains were installed in the town. Early equipment consisted of two hand pulled
"chemical carts" and a hand pulled hose reel. One of the chemical carts is still in the
possession of the Geyserville Fire Dept and is on display at Station 1 in Geyserville.
The first fire station was a small building erected where most recently there is an empty
lot at the corner of Geyserville Ave and Hwy 128, and hand a bell on a tower, which was rung
to call the volunteers in case of a fire. That same bell can still be seen on the siren tower
at the Geyserville Fire Station 1.
In the 1920, Harold Sullivan became the Dept.'s first Fire Chief; he later went on to be Chief
in Healdsburg for many years.
In the mid-1920's the May Day festival was started at the Hoffman Grove for the purpose of
raising funds to purchase a fire engine. A Model chassis for the first engine was purchased
in about 1931. The body of the engine was built at A. Lampson & Sons Garage by J.L. Chittenden,
Everett Lampson, J.B. Dickson, Aldo Lombardi and others. The first firehouse for that engine
was Oscar Teaby's blacksmith shop next to the Odd Fellows Hall.
With the advent of motorized fire apparatus, the Geyserville Volunteers saw their area expand
South to Lytton, East to include the rest of the Alexander Valley, North to Asti and West to
cover the upper half of the Dry Creek Valley.
The 1950's saw a number of major changes in the Department. In 1950 a meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce was held to reorganize the Department, add more members and to elect a Board of
Commissioners. Leo Beers was elected Chief, L.C. Smith and Leslie Meyer assistant Chiefs,
and Everett Lampson, Bates Dickson, Harvy Rose and J.L. Chittenden commissioners. In 1953 the
Model A engine and $500 was traded for a 1941 Ford Navy Crash Truck from the King City Navel Air
Station. This engine is was in-service until the early 1990's.
In 1958 the site of the present fire station in Geyserville was purchased from George Remmel.
Plans were drawn up and the cinder block structure was built in the mid 1960's with volunteer
labor. A second building behind the station was built in 1989.
In 1999 a feasibility study is conducted to analyze the need and ability to build a new Station 1. After many design changes construction begins in October 2004 on a new 12,000 square foot state of the art station. In September 2005 construction is complete and the GFPD moves into the new Station.
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