Our History

In 1942, the Diamond Springs Volunteer Fire Company was formed by a small group of men who spent their time converting a chemical truck into a working fire truck. Within a week, $250 was collected and deposited in the bank. A short time later, the community contributed additional money to fully fund the purchase of that working fire truck. They were personally invested in making a working fire department to serve the community.

The earliest records of the El Dorado Volunteer Fire Company are from some years later. The two volunteer fire companies interacted on a regular basis – giving donations of equipment and money, sharing information, and helping each other.

In 1949, Station 49 in Diamond Springs was built by volunteers. They were organized as the Diamond Springs Volunteer Fire Company. At that time, they had 4 officers, 37 active members, and 2 honorary members.

For the first official 20 years, The Fire Company bought very little new equipment. Instead, they continued to use their ingenuity to convert various rigs into working fire and rescue equipment. Beginning with the original chemical truck, they have also used a surplus military truck, an army field ambulance, and a telephone truck. Today’s parade truck is a 1941 Ward LaFrance Pumper that was part of the working equipment used in 1962. Whether they have had the resources to purchase used or new equipment, they have always been sure to make the most of the money that was collected.

In 1979, the two small town volunteer companies consolidated to form the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District, the organization that serves us today. Before doing so, they polled the community to get their opinion; voters reflected their approval by a large margin. A merger of this sort had never been done before; they pioneered a successful consolidation that has shown numerous benefits for the districts and their communities. The transition was smooth, with all members fully cooperating to create a new and more efficient organization. With this consolidation, the District expanded in both personnel and equipment.