About Your Local Fire District

After several fires in the 1930s, including a major fire on the village square on July 20, 1935, there was a true concern for fire safety in the village of Danville, OH. In March 1938, the village council established the Danville Volunteer Fire Department with Dana Snow serving as chief.

Fire hydrants were installed in the village that year, and a pumper was built in a garage. A pumper/tanker was constructed from a used gasoline truck in 1949. Over the next 35 years, the department grew from one truck to a fleet of seven pieces of fire equipment and two squads with leadership provided by Ralph Mickley and Dale Hammond.

EMS services were then added to the department in 1971, providing service for six townships and two villages. A second station was built in Howard in 1973, and Hammond’s son, Mike, took over as chief. Over Hammond’s 18 years following, the department acquired an aerial ladder and a heavy rescue truck with essential equipment for rescue work.

In 1992, a BCD technical rescue team was established, comprised of the Bladensburg, College Township, and Danville fire departments. Larry Stimpert took over as chief in 1996, and the district has since grown to a fleet of 16 pieces of fire equipment and two additional squads.

In 2000, it was decided that the community could benefit from forming a joint fire district, and the Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District was born in 2001, serving the villages of Danville and Brinkhaven plus the townships of Brown, Jefferson, Howard, Union, Butler, and Harrison. The district operated with all volunteers until 2003 when paid personnel were hired.

The district is currently under the leadership of Fire Chief Larry Stimpert; Assistant Chiefs George Durbin and Marcia Durbin; Lieutenants Tyrel Samples and Jason Stephens; and Captains Chris Wilis, Regis Fowler, and Brian Durbin, who oversee a staff of more than 50 firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs.

If you have any questions, contact us at our Station 1 or Station 2 location.

Our leadership has always made sure to stay current with the latest equipment and supplies to provide the highest level of protection for our community. Since 2010, we've had the resources to purchase the following items: