From bucket brigade to highly trained firefighters
Flora Fire Dept. celebrates 100 years
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

Fire chief Scott Sisson has been on the Flora Volunteer Fire Department for 31 years and has been chief for 18 years. The department, which is supported by the Town of Flora and Monroe Township, will celebrate its 100th anniversary at an open house July 5. For more information on the history of the department, see pages 6A and 7A. Comet photo by Jennifer Archibald

Flora Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 100th anniversary with an open house on July 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at the fire station.

There will be a slide show, memorabilia on display, firerelated give-aways, and activities for children.

"We're proud of our 100 years," said Mike Titus, who has been with the department for almost 30 years. He is the lead fire investigator and unofficial historian of the department.

Titus has been accumulating and putting together the history of the Flora VFD since the 1980s.

Although there were some organized firefighting efforts before 1908, Titus said it was in that year that the Flora Town Board adopted an ordinance to create a volunteer fire department, starting with 12 members. Firemen were to receive $1 per fire from the town's general fund.

Titus

Titus said he has assembled the history by going through loose papers, ledgers and other fire department records, town board minutes, the Hoosier Democrat, Carroll County Comet, and the Flora Centennial book.

 

Over the last century, the department has continually updated its equipment, gear, and safety and communication devices. The number of firefighters on the department has increased, and they have increasingly been better trained. They started out exclusively fighting fires, but now are asked to help with other disasters, wrecks, and emergencies.

Titus said when he joined the department in 1979, the firemen wore rubber coats, and all the boots were the same size - 13. He said his training was tagging along with one of the older guys at a fire and doing what he was told.

"Today there is state-mandated training before a fireman makes his first run," Titus said. "We hold to the same standards as the paid departments."

He has organized the department's history by dates, including memorable fires and other emergencies, and important purchases of equipment and devices.

There are a number of "firsts" recorded. Several are listed below.

1918 - First motorized apparatus (fire truck) purchased.

1924 - First recorded fire run, to Mrs. Smith's barn on South Center Street, only slight damage.

1981 - Bought first "Jaws of Life."

1992 - Women's Auxiliary formed.

1993 - Bought first custombuilt pumper.

1996 - Bought first aerial ladder truck.

1998 - Bought first infrared imaging camera.

100 runs a year

"We average 100 runs a year, with eight to ten of them being serious structure fires," Titus said.

He has totaled all the runs from 1924 through 1996, coming up with 2,359.

In a hundred years, the department has recorded 10 fatalities. Titus said to his knowledge, there have been no fire-related deaths or serious injuries among the firemen.

Titus said the first few fire chiefs were appointed by the town board. Now they are elected annually by the department membership. There have just been nine fire chiefs in the department's history. Charles Stouse served the longest - from 1939 to 1969. Scott Sisson, the current chief, has served the second longest term, 18 years and counting.

Veterans of the Flora VFD

Sisson has been on the department for 31 years. He and Titus are the current longestserving members, followed by Mike Hoffman, with 28 years.

"I was recruited by fire chief Walter Allen in 1977," Sisson said.

On Sisson's wedding day, in September 1987, he was at the church when he heard the fire trucks go by. On impulse, he started to take off, but was held back by his best man. Right after the reception, he and his bride, Michelle, still dressed in their wedding attire, drove to the scene of the fire. It was in Bringhurst at the old hotel, and arson was suspected. The other firemen assured Sisson that he didn't need to stay.

Sisson said the department has vastly improved its equipment in the last three decades. They currently have eight pieces of equipment, including pumpers, tankers, aerial truck, and rescue unit. One of the pumpers has a maximum pumping capacity of 1,500 gallons a minute.

"We've worked hard to improve out fire department," Sisson said.

In the last 18 years, the department has improved its ISO (fire insurance) rating from 8 to a 5.

Terra chemical fire

In his time on the department, Sisson said one of the most dangerous fires the men fought was a chemical fire at Terra International in 1997. The Flora firefighters spent 19 hours on the scene. More than 700 people from Bringhurst and Flora were evacuated to Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School. This was the largest HAZMAT incident in the history of the department, and all the departments in the county were called to assist.

One of the most devastating fires, Sisson said, was in 2003. A house fire in Bringhurst left three fatalities, including two children.

Titus and Sisson said the fire department has assisted with many emergency situations where extra, trained manpower was needed. Some of these have been ice storms, floods, a gas leak, and a deadanimal spill.

"We try to keep around 27 members on the department because that's what we can outfit," Sisson said. "We've had a waiting list since the early '90s."

He said the department has five junior firemen.

"The junior firemen have been instrumental in filling our ranks," Sisson said.

The second in command on the department is Dave Sieber. There are three captains, Mike Cottrell, Jack Switzer, and secretary treasurer, Dwayne Pirtle. Jason Oyler and Jeff Shuman are lieutenants, and Todd Trent is safety officer.

"Our most highly trained firefighter is Mike Titus, our head fire and HAZMAT investigator," Sisson said.

"Altogether, we've got a good mix and a good crew."