Fire History

Stow was serviced by a private fire company until January 1933 when the private company was replaced by a volunteer fire department consisting of a part-time chief, 2 full-time employees, and 30 volunteers.

In early 1934, the Stow Fire Station opened on Kent Road. The volunteer fire department served a rural population of approximately 1,000 residents. Its first truck was a converted 1913 Model -T Ford acquired from a private company.

Continual community growth over the years has necessitated many changes in fire safety service. A second fire station opened on Commerce Drive in 1963. In 1990, the department initiated an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to support the growing population per hospital care.

Construction began for a long-overdue $7 million project to build a new safety building in 1993. Approved in 1989, funding for the project resulted by using a half-percent city income tax increase. On February 26, 1995, the new 54,000 square foot, fully sprinklered Safety Center Building opened, which is located behind Stow City Hall at 3800 Darrow Road. This modern state-of-the-art facility is a unique concept housing all our safety services under one roof Police Department, Fire Department, EMS Services, Fire Prevention, and Education, Youth Services Division, Dispatch/Communications Center, and Police Reserves

Currently

Stow has developed into a popular suburb because of its close proximity to Akron and Cleveland. The population of the city has increased from 12,000 in 1960 to 32,139 according to the 2000 Census, making it the third largest city in Summit County. To accommodate this steady growth and to better serve and respond to the health, safety, and welfare needs of residents within Stow funds were necessary to expand our EMS/Fire services.

Fire Station 3

4238 Fishcreek Road

Fire Station 3 was completed in the summer of 2003 and is also staffed with 3 personnel. This station has an engine and ambulance to respond to multiple types of calls.

Fire Station 2

Completed and occupied in the fall of 2004, it is staffed with three personnel who respond to emergency calls in either an engine or ambulance, depending on the nature of the call. Station 2 also houses a Summit County HazMat truck and Stow dive truck with boats for water rescue. The lower level of Station 2 has a training room used by the Stow Fire Department as well as other area safety forces and is open to the community as well.

Both stations 2 and 3 have the following:

• Multiple apparatus bays
• Buildings designed to house up to7 fire medics/shift.
• Gear room
• Toolroom
• Watch Office
• General office
• Vestibule area
• Air tank repair/refill room
• Shift Captain's office
• Shower/locker rooms
• Physical training room
• Dining room/Day room area
• Fully operational kitchen area
• Laundry rooms - heavy-duty wash and general wash
• Equipment decontamination area