Our Story
The first meeting of the Fox River Grove Fire Department was held on December 17th, 1923 at Kotaska’s Hall. Early meetings were held in the garages of August Prokop and Joseph Pokorny Jr. The first Fire Chief was Marshall Cihlar. In June of 1925 the firefighters began to meet at the Village Hall. The first reported fire was recorded on October 27th, 1925. The Fire Chief at that time was Joseph Pokorny Jr. The Annual Fund Raiser Dance started in February of 1935 and continued every February until 1969.
There were 107 fire calls from 1923 to 1947. In August of 1947 a committee was formed with the idea to start an Annual Turkey Raffle fundraising event. The First Annual Turkey Raffle was held at the Legion Hall on November 22nd, 1952 and was a big success. A discussion was held in 1960 on forming a Fire Protection District. The Fox River Grove Fire Protection District was formed in 1962 and a down payment was made for property south of the lumber yard for a new fire station.
There were 467 fire calls from 1947 to 1963. A ground breaking ceremony was held on May 9th, 1964 for the new fire station to be built on Algonquin Rd. Fire Station #1 was completed that following September. Fire Station #2 was built in 1977 and the 1923 Model T Pumper was moved there where it stays today. An addition was added to Fire Station #1 in April of 1987.
1975 was the first year the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District recorded over 100 fire calls for a single year. 4 years later 244 fire calls were recorded for a single year. In 1995 over 300 fire calls were recorded.
In May of 1995 Robert Kreher was appointed the new Fire Chief by the Board of Trustees. October 25th, 1995 marked a significant time for the Fire Protection District and the Village of Fox River Grove. A school bus carrying a number of high school students was struck by a train. Tragically, 7 students lost their lives to this incident. A memorial site was made at the crash site known today as the “Seven Angels Crossing”. The Fox River Grove Fire Protection District changed one of the ambulance numbers to 657 in remembrance of the lives that were lost. The “7” is designed with having a halo and angel wings.
Today, The Fox River Grove Fire Protection District employs approximately 25 members, full-time and part-time combined. These members continue to operate out of the original Fire Station #1 located on Algonquin Rd. responding to approximately 700 calls per year, and counting. The original 1923 Ford Model-T Pumper is still active during our Memorial Day parades. In 2023 the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District celebrated its 100th birthday. The 62nd Annual Turkey Raffle will be held in November of 2024 and still continues to be the primary fundraiser operated by the Grove Firefighters Association.
To see more photos please check out our Gallery
Fox River Grove Fire Department 