The Cataula Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1972 and contracted by Harris County for Fire and Rescue services. Harris County currently has no county-wide fire department and all fire departments in Harris County are private organizations/businesses except for the city fire departments.
Our history started with one station at 107 Raymond Drive just off Highway 27 in Cataula, with a small piece of property donated by a local family. The station originally had 2 bays and housed two apparatus. Over the years this station housed a 1970s-era flat-nose Ford pumper and a homemade tanker that had probably been a small (approx. 1000-gallon) fuel truck. There was also a 1980s-era Chevrolet 2500 service body truck that was donated by Chevron Oil that operated as the service truck.
In 1996 the department purchased a used 1985 pumper and sent the old pumper off to be refurbished. A third bay was built on the station and growth began. The station had a small area that was used for meetings and training and cooled by ceiling fans. The department hovered around 15 members at that time.
Most of the equipment was “hand me down” and probably beyond most of its life span when it was received. Our department was glad to have whatever they could get. In 1996 the department was an ISO (Insurance Services Office) class 8/9. The ISO scale runs from 1-10, with 1 being the best and 10 being almost non-existent. The second rating is based on proximity to fire stations, fire hydrants, and other factors. ISO is what most insurance companies rate your homeowner’s insurance with.
In approximately 1999, ISO came to re-evaluate the fire department, as it does on a somewhat regular basis. At the end of that time, ISO rated the department as a 6/9 and showed us an area where a fire station would be helpful to increase coverage for homeowners in the Cataula Fire area. The area where a station was needed was near the west part of Highway 315, towards Fortson Road. The search began and a donation of 3 acres was received from a local family.
Cataula Fire Station 2 another 3-bay station located at 7120 GA Hwy 315 opened in 2001 with a great deal of donations and help from the community. On opening day we had three citizens sign up to be volunteer firefighters and continue to be involved in the department to this day.
Cataula Fire has always been a department of first’s for Harris County. In 2004 we were the first department to add Thermal Imagers to our apparatus . Also in 2004, we were the first department to purchase all new 4500 PSI Self-Contained Breathing apparatus for our firefighters. In 2010 we received a grant for a set of Hydraulic Rescue Tools. This grant for hydraulic rescue tools prompted the department to make a decision to purchase a custom-built rescue truck. It was then, and is now, the only GEMA (Georgia Emergency Management Agency) rescue truck in Harris County.
Cataula Fire has done all this, and more, with minimal funding from Harris County. All fire departments in Harris County receive a relatively small stipend and some money for equipment each year to help with operational costs. The rest of our funding comes from donations from the citizens of Harris County and fundraisers done each year. This is why donations are so crucial for the survival of all fire departments in Harris County.
After many years of hard work from members of the department and generous donations from the community to buy trucks and build station 2, ISO reevaluated Cataula Fire in 2021 and lowed our ISO Rating to 4/4X. Currently, no other department in Harris County has a better ISO rating than us.
Today the department operates with 5 Engines, 1 Tanker, 1 Brush, 1 Heavy Rescue, 1 Support Vehicle and around 30 members. All members serve and protect the community with no pay or compensation and are either state-certified firefighters, registered volunteer suppression firefighters, or waiting to be state registered. Our department includes career firefighters who have decided to use their training and experience to help the department and others come from all walks of life, ages, and job disciplines. All giving of themselves and their time daily to help the community we live in.
