Athens Fire Department

The Athens Fire Department is an ever changing organization with the primary responsibility of protection of life and property from fire and other emergencies within the confines of the municipality limits. The fire department interacts with various city departments, which includes: police, code enforcement, water, service garage, personnel, and the auditor.
The department also works in conjunction with the State Fire Marshals Office, Federal and State Environmental Protection Agencies, Federal Emergency Management Agency and The Local Emergency Planning Committee. Firefighters are on duty 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The department has three shifts, each shift works 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off duty with a minimum of three firefighters assigned to each station. The department has two stations, one located at 61 Columbus Road and the other at 454 Richland Avenue.
These stations house two front line pumper trucks and a tower/ladder truck. There are also two reserve pumper trucks, one located at each station. Due to many acres of woods that is within the municipality, late in 1999 the Department added a brush truck to it’s fleet. The age of the trucks range from 1981 to 2000.

Both fire stations are more than 30 years old. The department has a mutual aid agreement with the Richland Area Fire Brigade, which is located on Hooper Road, the Plains Volunteer Fire Department and the Nelsonville Fire Department.

Established in 1830, the Athens Fire Department was first located where the Athens City Hall operates today. Horses that pulled water wagons were kept in a stable located next to the former Fire Department. Presently, there are two department locations. The headquarters is on Columbus Road and a station-house on Richland Avenue