Fire Department

The first organizational meeting was held on March 20, 1960 to form a fire department. From that meeting, a Board of Directors was elected. A committee was set up to write by-laws and to schedule training sessions. Members of the Rice Lake Vol dept. were present and gave suggestions from their experience on how a department should operate.

At the next meeting the treasurer said there was $11.56 in the treasury. Another committee was formed to canvass the area for donations. This was successful because the treasury grew to $439.06. Additional income came from smorgasbords and dances. As the fire department grew, it was incorporated in November of 1962.

The first building for the fire hall was moved here from the Oliver Iron Mining Company. it was put on an empty lot by the Zim Coop store. It served the dept for ten years. Improvements were made as funds permitted. As time went on and more equipment was acquired, it was decided to find a site for a new fire hall.

At the Annual Town meeting of 1970, it was voted to find land and build a new fire hall. The Zim Evangelical Free Church gave the fire Dept a perpetual agreement on a portion of their land and a new building went up. A 2-stall 30′ x 50′ building was built.

An alert system was set up with the cooperation of Northwestern Bell Telephone for fire calls and relay stations on an eight-party line. It worked quite well. This was the first system devised by the people. It lasted until a transmitter system and base station was installed that activated radios for the volunteers.

In 1981, another dimension was added to the fire department when 4 firefighters and 9 area residents completed a 81-hr EMT course.

Once again the fire dept outgrew their hall. So the township purchased land where the abandoned county garage once stood.

The department continues to grow and even has had an additional two stalls and a training center added to the building.