EST 1929

The Sheridan Fire Department is located in Grant county Arkansas and is the county seat. The Sheridan Fire Department serves approximately 3000 homes, with a population of about 7000.  The department covers 63 square miles.   There are 290 pressurized hydrants with in the 63 square miles that the fire department covers.  The Sheridan Fire Department has a ISO rating of 5.  The department has had this rating for 15 years. Our department covers the city and some areas past the city limits. We provide mutual aid to every fire agency surrounding the City of Sheridan including but not limited to Calvert, Center Grove, Prattsville, Poyen, Palistine, Cane Creek, Grapevine, and Leola. We have 23 Firefighters that serve the needs of the community.

The Sheridan Fire Department was started in 1929. 

In the past 3 years the Sheridan Fire Department has responded to 63 structure fires.  There were an average of 9 fire fighters on these calls.

In the past 3 years the Sheridan Fire Department has responded to 71 grass or forest fires.  There were an average of 6 fire fighter on these calls.

Our Mission is To serve the community by providing the best possible service to protect life, property, and the environment from effects of fire and other dangers.

The Sheridan Fire Department was established by Sheridan City Ordinance Number 131 on June 26, 1929. Prior to this, the first fire-fighting equipment consisted of strategically placed barrels of water and buckets manned by volunteers. As a result, most structures that caught fire burned to the ground. The next piece of equipment was a cart with an axel and two wheels. There were drums built on them to carry hoses and they also carried an ax and a ladder.  They had a long handle on them so they could pull them around with a car or pick-up truck. They sat on the back of the truck and pulled the cart behind. Sometimes the cart would hit a stump or something, and it would almost pull them off the truck. They would come along with the cart and pull up to a plug and turn the water on. They did not have a member list it was just who ever jumped on and was willing to fight the fire.

Dalton Walker, Lamar Bailey, Harlan Walker, and John Wilson were some of the men who helped pull those old fire carts around. When the fire whistle blew, everyone would just catch the truck pulling the cart. They did not even have the same crew every time, they would just pick up volunteers.

In 1940 the City of Sheridan purchased their first fire truck and the Fire Station was on the southwest corner of Oak and Bell streets. Theo Warlick was the Fire Chief when the 1939 Chevrolet fire truck was purchased. Sometimes they got the truck stuck , and sometimes the hoses froze.

There used to be an old saying that went around. Get out of the way, here comes Sheridan’s most efficient fire department. There’s been a fire out there three times, and they save the ground everytime! 

The carts were housed in three little buildings at different locations in town. One building was near the railroad on Highway 270 at the J.L. Williams Mill; one at the mule barns behind Sheridan Cemetery ( beside the current Middle school); and another at Gilbert Reynolds station on the corner of Rose and Center streets. These places made up three wards.

The siren would blow one, two , or three times in a way that would tell firemen which ward the fire was in.

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