The Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services was established in 1971 as the Bloomington Township Fire Department, in response to concerns about the high cost of externally contracted fire protection and the low level of service being provided. A group of concerned citizens approached the Bloomington Township Trustee about creating a fire department to provide service to Bloomington Township. The Trustee agreed that if they prepared throughout 1970, they would be allowed to operate on January 1, 1971.

Those citizens joined together and throughout 1970, purchased equipment, trained at schools and with other departments to be ready for that special day. It was decided that in order to insure a timely response, some personnel would be paid and would work shifts. Six individuals would begin working 24 hour shifts (one day on/two days off) on January 1, 1971. At that time those personnel were paid the tremendous sum of $6000 a year.

One of the early runs resulted in the driver being pulled over by an Indiana State Police Trooper because he thought some kids had stolen a fire truck and were joy riding since they were driving faster than the posted speed limit without lights and sirens (The fuse blew)!

Some of the equipment listed here was purchased with grant funds. Apparatus and there descriptions can be viewed on the Apparatus page.

• April 1973 - James McHenry Jr. died in the line of duty while responding to an emergency in his private vehicle.

• Mid 1970's - The department began to respond to vehicle accidents and "first aid" runs.

• March 1978 - George Ringer died in the line of duty from a heart attack while working at the scene of a structure fire.

• Late 1980's - The department began to develop a hazardous materials response capability.

• 1990 - The department purchased a neighboring house to be used as offices and a training area. The training area developed into a state recognized training academy, drawing firefighters from as far away as northern Indiana and northern Kentucky.

• 1992 - The department developed into a regional hazardous materials response team covering a 5 county area.

• 1993 - The department purchases 2 semi-automatic defibrillators, becoming the first defibrillator equipped first response agency in Monroe County.

• 1995 - The department had its first international firefighter join. Erkki Kauranen from Finland contacted the department about continuing his volunteer firefighting while attending Indiana University as an international business student.

• 1995 - The department officially changed its name from Bloomington Township Fire Department to the Bloomington Township Department of Fire & Emergency Services, to better reflect the diversity of services provided by the department.

• 1995 - The department celebrated 25 years of service protecting the public with an open house and awards for charter and 25 year members.

• 1996 - The department purchased its third defibrillator and placed it in service at station 15, a totally volunteer operated station at that time. The department became the first department in the county to place a defibrillator in service at a volunteer fire station.

• March 1997 - Our second international student, Panagiotis Karamanos, from Greece, joined the department.

• May 5, 1997 - Our first Fire Chief, Marvin "Pete" Lockhart died after a long battle with cancer. He was buried with full fire department honors.

• August 1998- Our Quint arrived from Smeal. Placed in-service September 17, 1998.

• October 10, 1998 - Quint 59 and rescue 56 dedicated at an open house.

• December 18, 1998 - Training academy officially renamed the James R. Dawson Training Academy, after 20 year Bloomington Township Trustee Jim Dawson, in recognition of his long service to the community, the fire department and to training.

• December 29, 1998 - New Rescue 56 placed in-service. Old Rescue 56 placed in-service at station 15 as Rescue 15-6.

• January, 1999 - Newly elected Bloomington Township Trustee Nancy Brinegar begins her term in office.

• June 2000 - Training academy torn down to make room for a new station 5.

• July 2000 - Construction begins on new fire station.

• August 2001 - New building completed and occupied. The department also celebrated its 30th year of service.

• January 2002 - The new 24 foot Haulmark Edge trailer was placed in service. This unit replaced the 16 foot Timberwolf trailer as the departments Hazardous Materials response unit.

• January 2002 - The older 1990 16' Timberwolf trailer used for hazardous materials response was converted into a mobile decontamination unit.

• March 2003- Bloomington Township Trustee Nancy Brinegar begins her second term in office.

• February 2003 - The department excepted delivery of a 2002, E-ONE 2000 gallon tanker that replaced the 1971 tanker. The new tanker has been designated unit 54.

• September 2003 - The department placed in-service 30 new MSA SCBAs purchased with grant funds.

• August 2004 - New Rescue 56 a 2003 AMTECH Rescue placed in service. This rescue replaced the 1994 international placed in service in 1998. The international was moved to station 15 and became Rescue 15-6. Our 1993 Ford serving as Squad 15 was retired at that time.

• August 2004 - Using grants funds the department purchased and placed in service Tactical-5.

• October 2004 - Work began on the department training field.

• December 2004 - New MCI trailer placed in service. Both the trailer and the equipment it carries were purchased using grant funds.

• Spring 2005 - The parking lot for the training field is completed and many of the other training field simulators are started.

• August 2005 - The new lower parking lot is added.

• December 2005 The Swede Flashover Chamber is added to the training field.

• October 2007 - The new training field is completed, along with the new burn building.

• January 2008 - Trustee Nancy Brinegar retires and Trustee Linda Sievers takes office.