The Potosi Volunteer Fire Department is the oldest volunteer Fire Department in Wisconsin. The Fire Department started in 1848 and has been operating continuously ever since. The Fire Department has always been independently run and not owned by the village. The Fire department's fire trucks are lime green in color, which is seen very rarely. The department also provides services to two communities: Potosi and Tennyson.
The fire department has given great service to the community and received great donations from the community. They have been given the opportunity to get incredible equipment such as a rescue boat that will help them service the community, especially since the Potosi community lies along the Mississippi River. The funds that are given to the department make it possible for the fire department to give back to people. Individuals who have been in bad accidents are able to receive some assistance paying bills or making sure their family has food and essentials while they recover thanks to the Fire Department.
The Potosi Fire Department is still making a big impact on the community now. They provide care on the water with the rescue boat. They fundraise to help students and community members, help fill pools for the community, help the school water the fields at the school, and they have helped clean up after floods, in addition to providing safety and rescue to the community.
The fire department is trying to obtain digital broadcasting, a way for firefighters to communicate. They are trying to get even more safety equipment to always keep their firefighters safe. They also want to have an AED in every fire truck, as most of all, they are trying to keep everyone as safe as possible.
A normal call looks a lot different than what it did when the Fire Department was just starting. Nowadays a normal call looks somewhat like this: The fire department receives the call and looks into the page to see what they might need. Members of the department head to the fire department to get their gear on and get their trucks filled up with responders. They will be en route to the scene within a few minutes. Chief Ryan Emler does a 360-degree review of the scene, ensuring that it is safe. Once the trucks arrive, they do whatever it is that needs to be done according to what the chief wants from them. They will stay at the scene until it is taken care of and everything is cleaned up, which takes approximately 1 to 2 hours on average. In some scenarios, such as a fire, they could be there for anywhere between two and 10 hours. Once they get back to the station, they clean up their trucks and their gear, and they will then debrief, or talk about the accident, and then head back home.
First Assistant Chief Jason Edge joined the fire department because he got to know people around the community and they asked him if he wanted to join. He stated, “I wanted to give back to the community,” so he decided to join and he is now a 19-year veteran of the department. He says, “It is a very good community, and the people are very polite and nice to be around.” He continues to serve his community as he still wants to have a positive impact through his role on the fire department.