1980s

Construction of new OFPD Station #2O’Fallon grew in population from 8,677 in 1980 to 18,300 in 1990. As the community continued to grow, so did the need for a full-time paid firefighting staff. In 1980, the Board of Directors hired David House to be the new Fire Chief. 

In 1983, Station #2 in St. Paul was demolished and rebuilt on the same site. The station was staffed entirely by volunteers until 2015. It is currently used to store a reserve apparatus and the 1941 GMC parade truck.

 

 

In 1988, work began to expand Station #1 to add firefighters’ quarters and additional administrative office space. Three volunteer members were hired as career captains to provide full-time coverage at Station #1 Monday through Friday on a 40-hour workweek. Full-time firefighters began staffing the station with three 24-hour shifts in December 1989. 

As many people were leaving the St. Louis City and County areas, they relocated to O’Fallon. This movement began in the late 1980s and continued until the housing market collapse of 2008. 

 

 

 

1981-1989 Call VolumeThe district did not begin to track calls based on incident type until 1989. Incident reports were completed on the NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System) one-page carbon forms.

When the district hired the full-time shift personnel at Station #1, the administration began tracking data and issuing an annual report with detailed statistical information.