We are dedicated to our community and citizens!

With humble beginnings in 1979, the Gowensville community established its first dedicated fire protection in the back garage of the service station at the corner of Goodjoin Road and Highway 14. A group of committed citizens formed the Gowensville Fire District and Volunteer Fire Department, housing two trucks behind the gas station while members trained and became certified firefighters. Their mission was simple, to provide reliable fire protection to the community and surrounding areas.

In 1982, Mr. Milton Smith and his family generously donated the original land and building to the department. This allowed the department to move from the service-station garage into a new, modern firehouse located just across the yard. Over the years, that building saw several additions to support the district’s growth, including living quarters, an EMS bay, a meeting room, and additional apparatus bays. While we have certainly outgrown our "home", we continue to operate out of that original building and location.

In the early 2010s, the department transitioned to a part-time paid fire chief and added daytime part-time staffing to improve coverage. From the late 2010s into the early 2020s, nighttime staffing was incorporated as well. In 2021, the district hired its first full-time fire chief and formally transitioned from a mostly volunteer organization to a fully operational fire district. In 2023, the district hired its first full-time firefighters while continuing to build its part-time ranks.

Today, while we are no longer a fully volunteer department, we still heavily rely on the dedication and support of our community volunteers who serve alongside our career personnel. With approximately 14 full-time and part-time members and an additional 30 volunteers and support staff, the Gowensville Fire District stands ready to meet any challenge we face and to continue the proud tradition of service that began in a small garage more than four decades ago.