About

The Dayton Fire District began on January 12, 1898, when the citizens of the City of Dayton and the immediate neighborhood met to organize and maintain a fire company. In the meeting, bylaws were created, and a Fire Board was nominated and approved by a vote. Then an ordinance was drafted, which was presented to the city council. The City of Dayton, Volunteer Fire Department, was created.

 Farmers and neighbors outside of Dayton created the Dayton Rural Fire Protections District. These volunteers provided fire protection outside of the city limits of Dayton. Fire equipment was stored at different rural locations over the years for volunteers to go to and grab the equipment needed to respond to a fire other emergency. Many of these locations were donated space on farms through agreements with the Dayton Rural Fire Protections District.

 Before Ambulance Service Areas (ASAs), the Newberg City Cab was the ambulance service for the City of Dayton Fire and Dayton Rural Fire Protection District. By dialing 3451 on your phone, you would be connected with the cab company, and they would provide transportation to the hospital. It was this way until ASA’s were created and medical personnel were trained for the ambulances to provide medical transport to the hospitals during a medical emergency. Currently, by calling 911, the Dayton Fire District is covered by the McMinnville ASA for the Yamhill County part of the district and Falck Ambulance is contracted by Salem Fire in the Polk County part of our district as the medical transporting agencies. Dayton Fire District provides medical care to the Basic Life Support (BLS) level and does not provide medical transport.

 On fires, it was common to see men wearing a suit or their Sunday best if they responded from church to respond to a fire. When firefighter clothing became more common for safety. Volunteers had to pay for their own firefighting personal protective equipment as there was no budget from either district to buy special clothing to be a firefighter. Both City and Rural Fire Districts worked together and later trained together keeping equipment separated as it was purchased by taxes from each specific district. It was common to accidentally swap tools and have an ax on the City Fire Engine that read Dayton Rural Fire Protection District on it and vice versa. Both districts started having joint meetings, and eventually, each district started to pay each volunteer a payment stipend for attending trainings and responding to calls that they would receive in a one-time yearly payment in December prior to Christmas. It was then the fire districts decided to purchase firefighters turn outs, but the firefighter would reimburse the district from their yearly paid stipend. Sometimes it took volunteers years to reimburse the district from their yearly stipends. Eventually, enough taxes were generated from the districts they were able to budget and pay for the firefighters’ personal protective equipment for the volunteers.

 RESOLUTION 1990-91-1 “The Board of Directors of the Dayton Rural Fire Protection District on the 11 day of March and the 8 day of April, 1991, sat in regular sessions for the transaction of district business. Whereas, the electors of the City of Dayton and the Dayton Rural Fire Protection District on November 6, 1990, approved the annexation of the Fire Protection and Medical Services of the City of Dayton into the Dayton Rural Fire Protection District, and Whereas, on February 13, 1991, the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners ordered the territory incorporated within the city limits of the City of Dayton annexed to the Dayton Rural Fire Protection District, and Whereas, it would be to the best interest of the citizens in the newly created Dayton Rural Fire Protection District to change the name of said District, and Whereas, this resolution was read on March 11, 1991 and April 8, 1991; Now therefore, it is hereby resolved by the Directors to change the name of Dayton Rural Fire Protection District to Dayton Fire District effective July 1, 1991.”