Hamilton Fire Department

Staff morale, community spirit being lifted by ‘FD & PD prank wars’

When the Journal-Record staff learned of the recent “prank wars” being conducted by the Hamilton Fire Department and the Hamilton Police Department, we first off—found them very funny, followed by feeling proud, thrilled, entertained and encouraged by their skills and ingenuity. We felt this type of good-natured kidding around was good for not only staff morale and stress relief for both departments, but also for lifting community spirit.

Reminiscing with former fire chief Tim Rye: The best, the worst and the unforgettable

Former Hamilton Fire Chief Tim Rye sits at his desk on Feb. 24 during his last week on the job before his retirement after 36 years in the fire service.

HAMILTON — After 36 years in the fire service, beginning as a volunteer in 1990, going full-time in 1996 and acting as fire chief since 2013, Tim Rye of Hamilton retired on March 1.

After the FIRE...

You went to sleep near midnight after calls to two wrecks and one heart attack. You’d been asleep for about an hour when the alarm sounded. You jumped into your turnout gear and climbed on the back of the fire truck.
You could see the flames a block away. You jumped off the truck and pulled a hose and connected it to the hydrant. When the signal came, you turned on the water and then ran down the street to join your crew in attacking the blaze.

Hoof or Paw donates pet microchip reader to HFD

Firefighter Will Warren scans Jenny Lee, while her mom, Sara McCracken, looks on.

HAMILTON — Hoof or Paw, a local animal welfare advocate, announced recently the placement of a state-of-the-art universal pet microchip reader at the Hamilton Fire Department. This strategic donation aims to significantly improve the chances of reuniting lost pets with their anxious owners by providing a readily accessible scanning point for stray animals found within the community.

HFD adds new ladder truck to fleet


The bold and the beautiful! Hamilton Fire Department’s Tower One is an amazing fire suppression and rescue apparatus with a 95 feet aerial platform and a pumping capacity of 1,750 gallons per minute.
HAMILTON — Tower One was added to the lineup of fire apparatus at the Hamilton Fire Department on June 17, 2024.

Hamilton firefighters battle blaze in harsh conditions — resident passes later


This home on Second Street Northwest was the scene of a fire last week.
HAMILTON — Although their extreme measures were not enough to save the life of Hamilton resident Lauren Gilchrist, firefighters with the Hamilton Fire Department certainly gave their best efforts in their attempts to do so.