On September 4th, 1941 the very first meeting of the LaGrange Fire Department was held in the Freedom Plains Grange. At this meeting, seventy-six men applied for membership.

The first set of bylaws were put together and adopted on October 15th, 1941. The Oath of Allegiance was read, all members read the oath and received their first membership cards. Their initial training consisted of a nine-week essentials course which was held in Millbrook.

Ed Hunt was elected as the first Fire Chief on April 15, 1942. The LaGrange Fire Department operated out of a small barn belonging to the Phelps family, before moving to the Burdick garage which became the first firehouse in LaGrange. The Phelps family eventually donated the land that the current Station 1 sits on.

The first fire apparatus was put into service on March 6th, 1943, and responded to 6 calls in its first month of service.

In 1946 a used pumper was purchased and was stored in Van Wyck’s barn to respond to calls in the western part of LaGrange. This led to the creation of Station 2, which previously stood in the area that the Van Wyck General Store occupies today.

In January of 1954, a fire destroyed a residence on Cochran Hill which led to serious concerns regarding the fire protection services available to Southwest LaGrange. As a result, the Southwest Civic organization was formed on February 5th, 1954 and approximately 31 men signed up and attended a training held at The Covered Wagon Inn.

In 1956 Southwest LaGrange Station 3 was incorporated into the LaGrange Fire Department in the same location it stands to this day, a 1953 Peter Pirsch Engine was purchased to cover the southwest area of LaGrange.

n the fall of 1958, the LaGrange Emergency Squad was formed to provide the very first EMS coverage to the Town of LaGrange. The very first ambulance was purchased in 1959.

On March 2nd, 1978 Station 2 was devastated by a fire that destroyed the entire building and its contents which included an ambulance, a rescue truck, and several thousands of dollars in equipment. Items found in the wreckage are on display in the current station 2 and charred pictures still hang on the walls.

A new Station 2 was built just up Route 55 from the former site, in 1980. A 1951 utility truck was donated to the Department until a new Rescue could be purchased and the Union Vale Fire Department loaned the Emergency Squad an ambulance.

In 1982 an additional bay was added on to Station 1 to house a second ambulance.

In September 1989 the Fire District hired its very first full-time career staff members to serve as firefighters/EMT’s. To meet the needs of the growing town and increasing calls for service, the career members provided ambulance and firefighting coverage Monday-Friday during the daytime hours.

In 1990 a fourth career staff member was hired and a full-time duty lieutenant was appointed.

In 2000 LaGrange Fire took a huge step forward in the level of service it provides its residents. The EMS service was upgraded from Basic Lift Support to Paramedic level Advanced Life Support, the highest level of pre-hospital care and agency can provide. The first four career staff members graduated from their Paramedic program and after the Dept of Health approval the LaGrange Fire District was officially an ALS agency, and still is to this day.