history

History of the Oran Fire Protection District

The Oran Fire Protection District traces its existence back to the Oran Volunteer Fire
Department which was a city based fire department. The Oran Volunteer Fire
Department’s recorded history is documented back to the early 1900's. The
department was probably in existence before then but due to a fire at city hall, no
records for this period are available. The city of Oran was founded in 1869 and
the fire department’s history probably dates back to this era.

The department’s first fire truck was a Ford model A, which was used to carry various
firefighting equipment. This truck had no pump and was sold in 1948 when the
department purchased its first fire truck. The 1948 fire truck was a Towers apparatus
built on a Chevy Chassis. This truck has a 500 Gallon per minute pump with a 300-
gallon water tank.

In 1968 the fire department purchased a second truck from Towers which had a 500
gallon per minute pump and a 500 gallon water tank. This truck also had several
compartments which allowed much more equipment to be carried.

The Oran Fire Protection District was organized by a vote of its citizens on August 8,
1995. The district was passed by a 64% margin, with 151 for and 86 against. This
was essentially a reorganization of the Oran Volunteer Fire Department. The
response area for the department remained about the same, but with the district, the
boundaries became official.

In 1998 the Oran Fire Protection District lowered its insurance rating from a class 6 to
a class 5. The Oran Fire Protection District has the lowest ISO rating of any volunteer
department in Southeast Missouri and one of the lowest in the entire state. At a town
class rating of 5, citizens of Oran pay one of the lowest rates around for their fire
insurance premiums. For more details on this subject please
check out the ISO section of this website.

In 1998 a 1977 Seagraves Fire Engine was purchased by the Fire District. This truck
has a 1250 GPM pump and a 500 gallon tank. This truck has a mounted deluge gun
and additional storage compared
to our other apparatus.

In April of 2003 the district citizens voted for a tax increase which allowed the district
to purchase a 1991 E-One Hush Fire Engine which has a 1250 GPM pump and a
750 gallon tank. This truck also has a mounted deluge gun but has additional
compartment space which none of the other engines have.

In September of 2003 the district was awarded a FEMA assistance to firefighters
grant in the amount of $166,089.00 with our portion being $16,608.90. This grant was
awarded in the category of Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety.

In July of 2004 the district purchased a 1993 Pierce Dash Fire Engine that has 1250
GPM Pump and 750 gallon tank. This truck is very comparable with the 1991 fire
engine.

Also in late July of 2004 the district was awarded it's second FEMA assistance to
firefighters grant in the amount of $250,000.00. This grant will be used to purchase a
NEW FIRE ENGINE, something the district has not been able to do since 1968. The
district's portion of this grant is $25,000.00.

If you have any additional information on the history of the Oran Fire Department or
related items please contact a member of the fire department so that it may be added
to this website.