As a result of a house fire on Infinity Road, which killed three children on January 10, 1971, Dr. John Curtiss spearheaded a drive to start a volunteer fire department. Soon thereafter in February 1971, the first public meeting was held for the organization of Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department. A Board of Directors was chosen and work was begun on articles of incorporation, which were finalized a
nd signed in March 1971. Dr. George Carrington donated land on Milton Road for construction of a firehouse, and work was begun to map a three-mile response radius for tax purposes. A vote in June 1971 approved a tax of up to 10¢ per $100, but the first budget submitted to the county was for $14,000, only 5¢ on the $100 for a tax district valued at $28,000,000. Turnout gear, monitors and a 1971 John Bean 750 gpm pumper were purchased before the station was completed and were temporarily housed in Durham Fire Department Station 7 on Duke Street. Just one year from its conception, on January 16, 1972, Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department was officially placed in service. The new station, built for $37,500, was dedicated in March 1972 and in April 1972 the department was certified with a 9AA insurance rating. Just after Thanksgiving in 1972, a fire started in Upchurch Drugs on Roxboro Road, which Lebanon firefighters responded to and extinguished. As a result of their efforts, Lebanon VFD was named an Outstanding Rural Fire Department in 1973. Limited funds and hard work marked early department efforts in expanding response capabilities. In 1974 Lebanon purchased two 1960 Ford beverage trucks which members of the department used to construct a single 1200-gallon, 450 gpm tanker. In 1976 Lebanon firefighters received their first pagers and the department purchased a 1965 Ford F-250 4-wheel drive utility truck for $300. This truck was fashioned into a 250-gallon, 450 gpm brush truck. It was later auctioned off when a new brush truck was purchased and placed in service in July 1979. During 1981 and 1982, Lebanon saw the need to extend the existing fire district. A federal loan for $200,000 was obtained to purchase two additional trucks and add two bays to the existing station. An Atlas Ford 1000-gallon, 1000 gpm pumper and an Atlas Ford 1200-gallon, 450 gpm tanker were purchased and placed in service in January 1982. In October 1983, Lebanon began a first responder program to answer medical emergencies in the district, and in 1988 the department began a junior firefighter program to encourage younger people in the area to become involved with the fire department. Lebanon purchased a new Emergency One pumper in 1985. As a result of continued growth, Lebanon obtained another federal loan in 1989 in order to build a second, three-bay station on Russell Road and purchased two additional Emergency One vehicles: a rescue pumper and a pumper / tanker. Lebanon purchased another Emergency One pumper in 1990, and with the advent of full-service EMS operations in 1991, purchased a 1991 Wheeled Coach ambulance. Lebanon purchased a new pumper in 1994 after several older pieces of apparatus were sold, and further additions were made to the Milton Road station to accommodate the transition to a paid staff working 24-hour shifts. September 1996 brought us to the 25th anniversary of Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department, in the wake of Hurricane Fran. Plans were under way at the time as well, planning for the announced annexation scheduled to occur July 1997
Major changes occurred July 1, 1997, with annexation of the southern most part of the established fire district, from Infinity Road and Latta Road north to Mickey Circle. This annexation included our Milton Road station. There was a reduction in tax base funding and square mile area coverage, but the call volume remained consistent. Several pieces of apparatus were sold as surplus during this time. A 2000 Ford E-350 4-wheel drive brush truck was purchased and placed in service in the fall of 2000. With this annexation, Durham Fire Department entered into a contract with Lebanon in the fall of 1998 that brought a ladder company into the Milton Road station. This company, with a crew of nine personnel, became an integral part of the operations at Lebanon until the spring of 2001, when Durham Fire Department opened station 14 on Umstead Road. This sent the ladder company back into the city and placed an engine company closer to the annexed area. The removal of the ladder company brought about the realization that Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department needed to consider its locations, future needs, funding and areas of responsibility. After much discussion it was agreed upon by the Board of Directors that the Milton Road station should be sold and all operations moved to the Russell Road station. Durham County EMS stepped forward and proved to be a willing buyer and the summer of 2001 brought an offer to purchase and it was accepted by the Board of Directors in August 2001. We are committed to ongoing service to Durham County. We maintain a fleet of seven fire and EMS emergency vehicles, full-time career, part-time career and volunteer members. The citizens of Lebanon Township and Northern Durham County will continue to receive prompt and professional fire and EMS services from the members of Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department, who exemplify our motto, "Second to none."
