Virden Fire Protection District

05/27/2026

We've got a couple events coming up that we'd like you to know about. First, on June 13th we have our annual pork chop cookout. We'll have pork chops! Pork burgers! Hand cut fries! Hot dogs! Chips! Well, hard to get excited about chips but we'll have them anyway. We hope to see you at the firehouse on the 13th! Best guess is around 11:30 when the first round will be done.

Secondly, we have the Great American Wash Down on the Virden square! On June 18th we'll head up to wash down the square. We hope you'll join us in the festivities that always follow. Again, best guess says we'll start washing the square around 7:15 or so. We DO ask that you please don't park on the square itself since we'll be up there washing it with copious amounts of water and we don't want to mess up your rig!

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05/23/2026

As we launch into Memorial Day weekend we'd ask that you join us in remembrance of the men and women who have selflessly laid down their lives for all of us. One weekend a year hardly seems an equal trade for their sacrifice. So whether you leave a cold one on the table for a buddy who's never coming to drink it. Go to the cemetery to help put out flags. Go to a Memorial Day program. Or you simply whisper a silent thank you to the stars. We ask that you take a few moments and reflect on those who'll never grow old and what makes this country so great. We hope you have a safe and happy weekend! 🇺🇲

05/21/2026

School is wrapping up in a few days and your friends at the Fire Department are on the hunt. But we're getting ahead of ourselves a bit so allow us to back up for a second. Last summer we took on our first group of Junior Cadets. It's not an idea original to us for certain but it was the first time we opened the doors to high schoolers looking to get involved. And as graduation passed and summer sets in we're looking to replenish our Junior ranks. So... we're on the hunt. We're looking for high schoolers who are interested in helping out as Junior Cadets, as you might have guessed by this point. To be considered, applicants must live within the Virden Fire Protection District, this includes Virden, Thayer, Lowder, and the surrounding rural areas. Junior Cadets must be 16 years old and must be attending school. Please note that if you're going to be 16 in a couple of months you can still apply. If you, or someone you know, would like more information please send us a message and we'll be happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

05/10/2026

With the exception of a few of you that we know that were hatched from eggs we've all got mothers. So, while we have a chance to take a breath we'd like to say thanks to all the moms out there who crush it on the daily! We hope everyone has a safe day!

05/08/2026

Here comes another one from the "we don't ask for much" files. This year there has been an alarming amount of vehicles driving around our apparatus while we back into the fire house. When we do this, we turn on all our flashy lights and do everything we can to make ourselves visible before pulling onto Route 4. But people still manage to either not see us or downright ignore us. For reference, if you have to drive into the grass in front of DiCarlo's to get around the front of an Engine then you just don't care. (It happened, you can't make this stuff up.) We know, we're not perfect either and sometimes you miss us when we're almost all the way into the firehouse. And we're OK with that. But when you are only a few feet off our front bumper like the car was last night we're not sure how you missed us. So. We dont ask for much. But we do ask that you see us backing into the firehouse. And then give us a second to get out of your way. We promise we're not going to be in your way too long and we'll do our best to clear the road quickly.

PS - before anyone says "kids need to put down their phones", the two cars that nearly hit us last night were both definitely being driven by adults.

Thanks for your attention and helping keep us safe so we can get home to our families!!

05/02/2026

This is more for the younger crowd on prom weekend, but this lesson applies to everyone. Buckle up and wear those seat belts. And make smart choices about what you do. We look forward to seeing the pictures of everyone all dressed up. We're wishing you ALL a safe and happy weekend. Even if you're not going to prom.

PS - you won't get the deposit back on your tuxedo if we have to cut it off of you. You've been warned.

04/26/2026

We are aware of thr potential for severe weather Monday. But we're all going to remain calm. This evening could be a good opportunity to check the flashlight batteries to make sure they're up to s***f and find and check the other items you have stored away in case the power goes out for an extended time. You want specifics about the weather? Well, we get briefed on a lot of things before they happen but Mother Nature likes to keep us on our toes. It's not an endearing quality of hers. As for what you can do? Keep an eye on the weather. A wise old electrical linemen told us once that if you can see lightning, you can be struck by lightning. And have you ever met an old, dumb electrical linemen? Us neither, the dumb ones don't last long enought to be "old". Be mindful of blowing debris, down tree branches, and down power lines. If you have a tree down and suspect its got power lines wrapped up in it? That's right, call 911. If a tree falls and hits your house? Yeah, you should call 911 for that. And if we do get storm damage and you decide to go out and survey the damage, no shame, please be mindful of standing water and rapidly moving water. Among other dangers in the roadway like the aforementioned down power lines, tree branches, and workers out trying to clear said obstructions. You know what? It might just be better to not go out and check out the damage, it'll be posted on Facebook anyway. Stay safe out there! And as always, if you need us we're only a phone call away.

04/26/2026

Can't tie a knot, so tie a lot? Turns out that's not quite the right answer. So today we took a few hours to do a refresher on the proper way to tie knots. We're thankful for our friends from Auburn and Carlinville for coming over to work with us. If you drove by you might have seen their ladder trucks setup in the parking lot. Thanks to them we were able to put our practice to the test and work on securing and hoisting loads. We don't get asked to lift or lower people very often so it's nice to be able to practice in a safe and stress free environment.

04/03/2026

With happy news theres usually sad news too. On Wednesday we shared happy news about our new rescue truck. The sad news? That means we've retired our 1983 American LaFrance rescue. So, gone are the days of open air jump seats and a screaming Detroit diesel keeping you warm while racing to a call. She's a beast though and is ready to serve in select circumstances. If you're interested in taking in an absolute classic, we've been told by collectors its one of a kind, message our page and we can arrange a time for you to meet someone to introduce you. After that, we'll run a detailed background check on you to make sure she's going to a good home!

04/01/2026

There's big things happening at the fire house. How big? Well, realllllly big. We're happy to say that our new heavy rescue unit is in service. This new to us unit will replace our older American LaFrance rescue truck, the big white one. Our "new" rescue will hold our grain bin rescue equipment, water rescue equipment, it has a modern cascade system so we can continue to refill our air packs on scene. Along with a plethora of other gadgets, widgets, and dohickeys. So, if you see this behemoth of a vehicle out and about it's just us. And as always, thank you all for your support which allows us to upgrade our equipment so we can serve you better.