HOOKER COUNTY RURAL VOLUNTEER FIREMAN

by Larry Reynolds

Entry T67 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Hooker County Rural Fire Department - 1985

Hooker County Rural Fire District is the
largest in the state of Nebraska. It covers one
million, one hundred thousand, six hundred
twenty-three acres.

The first Rural fighting unit was a 1951
Jeep pickup. The district now has five fire
fighting units located at: Howard Wright's
north of Mullen; Bob Stevenson south of
Mullen; the Pullman ranch northwest; anoth-
er at Vernie McCully's and the one located
in Mullen.

The Rural Fire Department has a five-year
contract to update and improve the fire
fighting equipment. A Rural one ton Chevro-
let Dual wheel four wheel drive pickup is
being purchased. The new unit has pneuma-
tic pump with an 18 horse engine which
pumps 90 gallons of water a minute.
Nine Volunteers received extensive train-
ing in Grand Island where over 2000 fireman
and instructors gathered for the training. The
areas of training included Interior Fire
fighting, Equipment Maintenance, Fire In-
vestigation and Reporting. Use of foam fire
fighting equipment, Basic Training, and the
duties of elected officials regarding fire
fighting regulations.

Most of the volunteers listed in the Mullen
Volunteer Firefighters make up the Rural
Volunteer firemen. They are ever alert to the
fire whistle alarm that indicates the fire is
outside the city limits. The fire may have
been started by lightning, a careless thrown
cigarette, trains or trash burning in a high
wind. These rural fires result in the loss of
much grazing land, haystacks and even some
homes and animals. People for miles around
respond to help fight the fires just as they did
in early days, however with more modern
equipment.