Chief Scott Balser, Director of Emergency Services
Robert Boyd, Fire Superintendent/Marshall
Phone: 540-863-2516
Address: 701 Church St., Clifton Forge, VA 24422
Email: Send a Message
Clifton Forge Fire Department
The Clifton Forge Fire Department was founded in 1886 and today has an average of 39 firefighters and three professional firefighter/EMTs who drive and operate the engines. The Fire Department coverage varies from residential and business throughout the town as well as providing mutual aid to surrounding departments within Alleghany County.
Today, the Department apparatus consists of two engines, one equipment truck, two supporting trucks, a 2002 Pierce 105’ aerial truck and a 4-door Dodge Ram 1500. The engines are a 2000 Ferrara pumper and it carries 1,000 gallons of water and is able to pump 1,250 gallons per minute as well as a E1 Typhoon Pumper which carries 750 gallons of water and is able to pump 1250 galloon of water per minute. Our support truck is a 2023 Dodge Ram 4-door, 4×4 pickup and is used to transport members to calls.
The first fire station was located in the bottom of Town Hall and the building that joined it.
After starting with hand-drawn reels, those were then converted into a horse drawn vehicle and the famous horse, George, was bought. Due to steep hills, a second horse was bought for the horse wagon, and they were used until 1915. The Fire Department bought its first motorized American LaFrance pumper unit, which carried 500 gallons of water in 1915. When motor trucks came, George was given to M.H. Pendleton with the understanding that he was to keep him for as long as George lived. In 1922 The Department purchased an American LaFrance Hook and Ladder truck.
The Fire Department remained in the fire house adjacent to Town Hall until December 8, 1970 when a freak accident occurred: a soft drink truck coming down the Jefferson Street hill lost its brakes and slammed into the front doors, causing the building to burst into flames. The Department lost its only pumper, and the ladder truck and all other equipment. Fortunately, no lives were lost. Luckily, a new 75’ aerial ladder truck that was on order had not yet arrived at the time the fire happened.
In the wake of the December 1970 fire, Fire Departments from around the State of Virginia donated enough equipment to allow the Fire Department to continue operations until additional trucks arrived.
In December 1975, the Fire Department moved into its present location at the corner of Church and D Streets. The 8,000 square foot firehouse was built with a bond issue at the cost of $167,700.
We have been in the process for many years to bring our apparatus and equipment up to today’s standards and we are making great progress with the recent delivery of the 105’ Pierce Aerial Truck.
We have wonderful relationships with the surrounding fire companies and work with each other all the time to protect the citizens and the property of the Alleghany Highlands.
Emergency Medical Services
The Town of Clifton Forge added a Division of Emergency Services to the Clifton Forge Fire Department. This service is managed daily by the Director of Emergency Services and fire superintendent and provides emergency needs services to the residents of Clifton Forge. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The EMS division is staffed by approximately 30 EMS trained individuals with certification ranging from EMT B to nationally registered paramedics. With our current staffing, we are able to provide advanced life support in all medical emergencies in the Town of Clifton Forge. We also provide mutual aid support to our neighboring communities. We currently operate two advanced life support certified and stocked ambulances. Paid emergency services staff was added to the Clifton Forge Fire Department on July 1, 2022.
Town Hall of Clifton Forge, Va.
547 Main Street
Clifton Forge, Virginia 24422
Google Map Directions
Office Hours: M-F 8:30am to 5pm
To Douthat State Park: 5.7 miles
To Covington, Virginia: 13 miles
To Humpback Covered Bridge: 16 miles
To Falling Spring Falls: 18 miles
To Lexington, Virginia: 29 miles
To The Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs, VA: 35 miles
To The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV: 36 miles
To Roanoke, VA: 44 miles
To Blacksburg, VA: 77 miles
To Charlottesville, VA: 95 miles
To Charleston, WV: 150 miles
To Richmond, VA: 166 miles
To Washington, DC: 218 miles
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