07/27/2026
DID YOU KNOW?
The Seven Hills Fire Department has been serving our community for over 80 years, but our history actually started even before the department was officially organized.
Before there was a fire department, firefighting equipment in the area consisted of a horse-drawn hose cart that was kept in a local barn. As the community grew, village leaders realized better fire protection was needed. In 1928, the Mayor appointed a committee to work out fire protection agreements with neighboring communities, and later that year the Village purchased its first motorized fire truck.
The Seven Hills Fire Department was officially established in August 1943 with 15 members under the leadership of Chief Lewis Doering. When Chief Doering moved away, Chief Carl Detzel took over. The department's first apparatus was a 1929 Ford Model A carrying hose, fire extinguishers, and basic firefighting equipment.
As Seven Hills continued to grow, so did the fire department. In 1945, residents approved the purchase of the department's first modern pumper. The Seven Hills Firemen's Association donated the department's first Cadillac ambulance in 1953, and in 1960 voters approved construction of the fire station at 7195 Broadview Road, where we're still located today.
Over the years, the department has been led by Chiefs Ray Spies, Buck Tesar, Joe Kish, Larry Masek, Stanley Chalmers, A. Charles "Charlie" Hosta, Robert Zaucha (Interim), Michael McConville, and James "Jamie" Meklemburg.
In 1985, Seven Hills began providing Advanced Life Support when Captain Scott Zamiska became the department's first practicing paramedic. In 1998, the station received a $1 million expansion and renovation, and Firefighters Gary Thozeski and Michael McConville worked the department's first scheduled duty shifts as staffed station coverage began.
After voters approved Issue 36 in 2006, the department began staffing five firefighters around the clock on January 1, 2007. That same commitment to protecting our community continues today.
Today, the Seven Hills Fire Department responds to more than 2,200 emergency calls each year, providing fire suppression, Advanced Life Support EMS, rescue services, fire prevention, public education, and mutual aid to our neighboring communities. The trucks, equipment, and technology have changed a lot over the years, but the commitment to serving the residents of Seven Hills has stayed the same.
This is just a small part of our department's history, and we're hoping you can help us tell the rest.
If you're a former member of the Seven Hills Fire Department, a family member of someone who served, or a longtime resident, we'd love to hear from you.
Do you have:
Old photographs?
Newspaper clippings?
Stories from the good old days?
Pictures of old fire trucks or ambulances?
Photos of former firefighters, officers, or chiefs?
Department memorabilia?
Share them in the comments. We'd love to preserve the history of the Seven Hills Fire Department and recognize the people who helped build it.
We're looking forward to seeing what everyone has tucked away in old photo albums, scrapbooks, and boxes in the attic.
