December 1845 – Mountain Fire Co. of Dahlonega is formed with 38 members listed; John W. Grady was elected president. A written report by Secretary William Warwick dated Dec 30, 1847 states the company lasted two years initially.
Ø 1860 – 1865 - Mountain Fire Company broke up during Civil War while many members joined The Blue Ridge Rifles
Ø January 1877 – Following a fire that destroyed a two story building where Woody’s Barber Shop stands today, The Dahlonega Plug Uglies is formed as another attempt at organizing a fire department. J.B. Thomas elected captain. The city council had two old wells cleaned out and supplied with good pumps and two new wells sunk on the public square on each side of the courthouse. Regular Tuesday night meetings were scheduled for The Plug Uglies. An article in the March 9, 1877 Dahlonega Signal stated “A fire company was organized directly after our last fire, but it seems that it has fallen through and will not be thought of again until another burning occurs.”
Ø Late 1930’s to Early 1940’s – Fire hydrants are begun to be installed in the city.
Ø Pre-1940’s thru 1948 – No motorized fire apparatus are used. Instead two trailers, one kept at the Mann House at NGCSU and one in a storage building at the now Hancock Park, are used. The trailers were single axle, box shaped and had two prongs designed to be placed on either side of a cars rear bumper and pulled to the fire. Fire hose on reels was hooked directly to the hydrants. Cadets from college assisted in fighting fires.
Ø January 1942 – Ford dealership and a barn located where the BB&T bank parking lot is now located burn. Animals are led out of the barn with shirts over their heads only to have several run back into the burning barn.
Ø Jan 9,1943 - Moore’s Hall (formerly Eagle hotel) on the south side of the square burns. Hose trailers used as well as fire engines from Gainesville and Cleveland. Gainesville FD had to respond using Hwy 129 and Hwy 52 since Hwy 60 did not yet exist. Fire wall prevents fire from spreading to other adjacent buildings. A hardware store is built on the location in 1945 and a Ford dealership in 1954. Presently The General Store and Classics are on the location.
Ø 1940’s - The historic McGuire House is saved from burning. The community was alerted of a fire by a siren on the Meaders Building where the telephone central was located. When the siren went off who ever was willing to help fight the fire would call the central and find out where it was. Later the central was relocated to the Wimpy house, the small building across from the stamp mill on the square. No coverage was available for citizens in the county. Road conditions would have made it difficult to respond at the time anyway.
Ø 1948 – An attempt was once again made to officially organize a fire department. A fundraiser was put on by selling raffle tickets for a car. After paying for the car $1400 was left and was used to buy a motorized fire engine. A surplus Air Force International truck was bought in Mauldin ,SC. The fire chief from Gainesville came to Dahlonega to train volunteers how to operate the truck. It was kept where the Corkscrew Café is now next to the Holly Theater. There was no door for years on the building.
A June 18, 1948 photo in The Dahlonega Nugget shows the new truck with the following caption:" There is no fire, but if there were one you would see this bright red fire truck racing to it. This is our new truck and pumper which is now complete and the boys who go with it when the alarm is sounded. In the insert (upper right hand corner) Fire Chief Johnny Moore. Standing on the rear are Randall Nix and Billy Moore. Standing on the side of the truck, left to right: Corky Moore, Tommy Eduards, Robert Ragan and Bill Fry. Chief Moore plans to have a practice fire drill for the boys every week. Beginning the first of July, just to keep them in trim. “
Ø ~1950 – The city of Dahlonega purchases the first turnout gear. Firefighters received coats and boots.
Ø 1958/59 – The pump freezes on the International fire engine purchased in 1948. Was taken to have pipes welded and repaired but welder forgot to remove grease packing from pump and catches it on fire. Truck is unusable and abandoned. Fire Department reverts back to the old hose trailers for a couple of years until newer style bumpers make it impossible to pull with the set up on the trailers.
Ø 1976 - A loose net volunteer department existed and a fire commission consisting of Dr. Bellamy, Harold Long, Bill Mundy, Bobby Ledbetter and Jack Sisk was assembled to put together a list of equipment and money needed to buy it. Bought tankers from Georgia Forestry. Fire station was located in an old service station where the welcome center is now located. Was decided a professional fire chief was needed and Jack Brigdon was hired from Savannah. Training in areas such as friction loss and at a training tower in another county was begun. J.B. Jones went to congress and stated that his biggest need was dry hydrants, had to explain what they were when asked why he wanted dry hydrants when you would want water from a hydrant for a fire by congressmen.
Ø 1985 -Station #2 built on land deeded to the county on Hwy 52E as first satellite station.
Ø August 1,1992 - Ground is broke on new fire station #1 on Morrison Moore Pkwy.
Ø 2001 - Fire Station #5 is built on Mill Creek Rd.
Ø 2002 - Fire Station #6 is built on Hwy 52 West.
Ø Jan 2,2008- Fire Station #4 is opened on Chesterra Rd. with a 24 hour crew.