Stow Fire Department
Mission Statement
Saving lives and property through fire prevention, suppression, education, and quality Emergency Medical Services.
ISO Rating
The Stow Fire Department maintains a Class 1 ISO Rating. ISO Ratings range from Class 1 (highest) to Class 10, which generally means no fire protection.
The rating process takes into consideration the community's water distribution system, 911 center communications, and the fire department's resources and ability to utilize these resources at the scene of a structure fire. Incident records, maintenance records, and training records are also evaluated.
History
Stow was serviced by a private fire company until January 1933 when the private company was replaced by a volunteer fire department consisting of a part-time chief, 2 full-time employees, and 30 volunteers.
In early 1934, the Stow Fire Station opened on Kent Road. The volunteer fire department served a rural population of approximately 1,000 residents. Its first truck was a converted 1913 Model -T Ford acquired from a private company.
Continual community growth over the years has necessitated many changes in fire safety service. A second fire station opened on Commerce Drive in 1963. In 1990, the department initiated an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to support the growing population per hospital care.
Construction began for a long-overdue $7 million project to build a new safety building in 1993. Approved in 1989, funding for the project resulted by using a half-percent city income tax increase. On February 26, 1995, the new 54,000 square foot, fully sprinklered Safety Center Building opened, which is located behind Stow City Hall at 3800 Darrow Road. This modern state-of-the-art facility is a unique concept housing all our safety services under one roof Police Department, Fire Department, EMS Services, Fire Prevention, and Education, Youth Services Division, Dispatch/Communications Center, and Police Reserves
