Fire Station 6 History

Located at 2084 Fort Avenue, Station 6 is currently the oldest active station in the Fire Department and is the only station that still utilizes a sliding pole.

When Station 6 opened in November of 1914, a new Engine Company, Engine 6 was placed in service to provide fire protection to the Fort Hill section of the city.  Built during the tenure of Chief Sandidge, the construction of the station took almost two years to complete.  Although the station wasn’t opened until November of 1914, the building carries a date of 1912.  Over the years it has been speculated that the city built the building in Campbell County with the intention of annexing later.  This is not the case.  At the time that the station was built, the city limits were at Wythe Road and had been at this location since 1908.  The city would not have another significant annexation until 1926.

With the purchase of the Chief’s car in 1913, the department had begun its foray into motorized apparatus.  With Engine 6 being an all-new Company, Chief Sandidge decided that the new station would be built to accommodate motorized apparatus, thereby breaking the tradition of horse drawn apparatus.  When the time came for the department to purchase its first piece of motorized apparatus, Engine 6 was the recipient.  Chosen for this piece of apparatus was a 1914 American LaFrance chain driven pumper purchased for the sum of $6000.  This particular engine would remain in service until another American LaFrance, a 1926 model, replaced it.

In the early 1930’s following the closure Station 3 on Church Street, Station 6 became the home to Engine 3.  These two engines would share quarters until 1968 when a new station 3 was built and Engine 3 was relocated. 

During the tenure of Chief Rap in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Station 6 was the scene of many training exercises. Because of the location and height of the hose tower, Chief Rapp routinely used this tower for ladder evolutions and training exercises.  Pictures of these training exercises show firefighters scaling the outside of the tower by utilizing scaling ladders hooked over the sills of the windows at each level of the tower.

For the next 20 years, very little would change at station 6.  Following the departure of Engine 3 in 1968, station 6 reverted back to a single company station. 

In 1976 following the addition of EMS to the Fire Department, Station 6 would become the home to Medic 6, the second of two medic units placed in service.  Following 46 years at Station 1, in 1976 Engine 7 was relocated to Station 6 where it would remain until Station 7 was built in 1980. 

After Engine 7 was relocated in 1980, it was decided that Engine 9 would be relocated to station 6. As a result of annexation, Engine 9 was originally placed in service in 1976 at Station 4.  Engine 9 would remain in service until 1996 when it was placed out of service and its manpower utilized to place Truck Company 2 in service at Station 7. 

Station 6 is currently the home to Engine 6 and Medic 6.