Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department

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Valparaiso, IN
Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department

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The following article was narrated by George Schmidt the only founding member still active on this fire department with 35 years.

Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1975 with 30 members on the roster.The first engine was leased from Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department for three years for $1.00 per year.We used one bay in the building to the east of the station(not built at this time) which is now Berkheimers.We broke ground in 1976 at 380 East State Road 2 which was donated by Indiana General and this was the start of the new station.The station was built by Chesters and the interior was completed by members of the fire department.We started parking the engine in one bay at the end of summer 1976 and the interior was completed in spring of 1977.In 1977 the members built the first 2000 gallon tanker on a used Chevy chassis and aquired a 6 x 6 military chassis for the next tanker. We also aquired from the military a brush truck that was also built by the members of the department.In 1978 the department took delivery of a new 1977 Ford pumper built by Quality Manufacturing and was in service until 2005.In 1981 we took delivery of a 1980 Chevy Mini Pumper the first truck built by Hoosier Fire in Valparaiso.In 1989 we took delivery of a new 1988 GMC pumper built by Quality.In 1991 and 1992 we added five more truck bays to the station giving us a total of seven bays.In 1999 we took delivery of two used trucks,one custom cab seven man 1988 E-One Hurricane Pumper and a 2500 gallon tanker made by Becker and these are still in service.In 2005 we took delivery of our first new custom cab engine a Toyne with a Spartan cab which is our first out engine.We purchased in 2007 a new Ford Expedition Incident Command vehicle that is driven by the chief and a Ford F550 Lifestar Rescue Airvan with a six bottle 6000 psi fill system with containment.We just took delivery in 2010 of a Kenworth/Toyne 3000 gallon tanker.We still maintain a 30 to 35 member roster and are always looking for new members.

10/08/2026

Congratulations to Washington Township Firefighter Kalib Martin, he was voted on as a regular member last month and was given his helmet shield and badge! Kalib is a graduate of the IDHS District 1 Fire Academy at the MAAC. We're excited to have him on our team and excited to see what the future holds for him. Congratulations!

10/06/2026

Thank you to everyone that came out to our pancake breakfast yesterday! It was a great day and great turnout, we served almost 800 guests and volunteers! A huge Thank You to everyone that makes this possible. The Porter County Civil Air Patrol, Washington Twp High School Key Club, Boy Scouts, Giant Paws, The MAAC, all of our placemat sponsors, Washington Twp Firefighters and their families!!!

We volunteer to serve!

10/02/2026

In September Washington Twp Firefighters finished up our annual ARFF refresher at the MAAC Training Center doing live fire scenerios. It was an intense month of training, our members got to participate in 2 classroom days of ARFF Operations, Aircraft Fire/Rescue, Airport Familiarization and Incident Command. We did various scenarios including ARFF Truck Operations, Wheel and Engine Fires and Fire Attack. Thanks again to our friends at the MAAC for supporting ARFF operations and Thank You to Cara Reeder at Reeders Photography for catching these cool shots. Preparing for the next call!

09/01/2026

Last week Washington Township Firefighters competed a refresher course in wildland firefighting which also included reviewing the operations of our brush truck and using some live fire props at the MAAC. Thanks again to the MAAC for always being there to support our training needs. Preparing for the next call!

08/14/2026

Sharing this from Valparaiso Fire Department, many of our residents are still without power and are using generators. Please read these safety tips! Be safe!

🚨 PLEASE — DO NOT USE GENERATORS INSIDE OR NEXT TO YOUR HOME OR BUILDING! 🚨

We are pleading with everyone to take this seriously.

Since the recent storm, we have responded to multiple calls involving elevated carbon monoxide (CO) levels. In several cases, generators were being operated inside buildings, in garages, or too close to buildings.

⚠️ Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, deadly gas. You cannot see it. You cannot smell it. And it can overcome you before you realize there is a problem.

NEVER operate a gasoline, diesel, or propane generator inside your home, garage, basement, shed, or any enclosed space.

Generators should be operated outside, well away from doors, windows, and other openings where exhaust can enter the building.

Please also make sure your carbon monoxide alarms are working and have fresh batteries.

If your generator is running right now, please go outside and check its location. Moving it away from the building could save your life — or the life of someone you love.

We know everyone is dealing with the aftermath of the storm and trying to keep their families warm, safe, and comfortable. But please don’t let a generator turn a power outage into a tragedy.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST. You may help save a life. ❤️🚒

07/27/2026

Lots of storm damage this afternoon in Washington Township and surrounding areas. If you see trees down or wires down please use caution and seek an alternate route. The picture below is on Evans Ave. between 325 East and Bartz Rd. this will be closed for an extended amount of time until NIPSCO can make repairs.

06/20/2026

Congratulations Firefighter Kalib Martin for graduating from the Indiana District 1 Fire Academy at the MAAC along with the rest of his Academy class. Thank you for your commitment to the fire service and our community. Also Thank You to the The MAAC and all the instructors. "Preparing for the next call!"

06/10/2026

Even 85 degree temps with 100% humidity doesn't stop these guys and gals from training! Last night we did a refresher training on SCBA's and Search and Rescue. Thank you to our dedicated members for all they do to "Prepare for the next call"!

06/05/2026

At tonight's IVFA District 1 meeting at Porter FD, Retired Firefighter/Paramedic Richard Stevens was given his 50 year gold card and award from the State of Indiana. Rich is a lifetime member of Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department and spent 35 years as a medic in Porter County! Congratulations Sir!!!

06/02/2026

Last week Washington Township and Cass-Clinton Firefighters completed our annual driving course, each member got to drive each piece of apparatus through the course while an instructor evaluated their skills. Preparing for the next call!

Address

380 E State Road 2
Valparaiso, IN
46383

Telephone

+12194643015

Website

http://washingtonfire.net/

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