York Township Fire Department

First things first, if you are in an emergency, call 9-1-1.

The York Township Fire Department (YTFD) is a 20 member volunteer department in Athens County, Ohio. The YTFD covers a 36 square mile response area, containing 7,761 permanent residents. The YTFD provides protection to several Hocking College Facilities, the Route 33 bypass, the Village of Buchtel, and the Bill Theisen Industrial Park in addition to the communities of Doanville, Glen Ebon, Kimberly, Bessemer, Connett, and New Floodwood. The YTFD also redners mutual aid with the follow fire departments: Nelsonville FD, Starr Township VFD Waterloo VFD, Chauncey Dover VFD, The Plains VFD, Murray City VFD, Jacksonville VFD, Ward Twp VFD, and any other fire department that would call for mutual aid per the statewide mutual aid agreement.

Athens County, located in the Appalachian Region of Southeastern Ohio, is a distressed county, ranking in the worst 10 percent of the nation's most economically depressed counties. Athens County has a poverty rate of 33 percent, compared to a national poverty rate of 15.5 percent (2018 ARC.gov).

In the Late 1950's the York Township Fire Department started by putting a firetruck in a shared garage with the Nelsonville Volunteer Fire Department. The fire protection area was protected by both organizations. In 1979 a group of firefighters from York Township began to discuss starting the York Township VFD as its own entity. After two years of discussion and planning, the founding members work paid off by creating the York Township Volunteer Fire Department with a base Firehouse located on Elmrock Road, Nelsonville, Ohio, later to be named Station 1.

Fully established in 1981 with the first fire run in November of that year, the YTVFD operated two trucks with fifteen individuals (men and women) from this location on Elmrock Road. The first new truck was purchased in 1989, with 1,000 gallons of water and 1,000 GPM pump. The truck is still in service today as a second out truck for all Fires.

Soon after that, the members started building our own brush truck and tanker with the help of a local farmer and a donation of these trucks. With a lot of volunteer hours, blood, sweat and tears, the trucks were put into service.

In 1993, a second pumper truck was purchased. This truck is still in service today. The first new rescue truck was purchased in 2003. In 2005, Station 2 constructed via funding from a community block grant was open with thousands of man hours as well as equipment use donated by area farmers and businesses.

In 2014, an 1,800 gallon Tanker was purchased with funding received from a USDA grant. Also in 2014, the truck that later became the Box 5 emergency scene support truck was donated by the Athens County Commissioners and then replaced by a donated truck from MedFlight.

In 2017, a used 2005 1,000 gallon pumper was purchased, becoming the departments "first "out truck.

In 2019, Station 3 was built. It was made possible with funding from TransCanada & Columbia Gas in the Village of Buchtel. This was done to cut response time to that area. Also in 2019, the department constructed a landing zone adjacent to Station 1 for medical helicopters with the donation of material and equipment from a local blacktop contractor in our area.

The YTVFD was built on hard work and dedication by members, by working together and making their goals into a reality. We carry those same work ethics with us today. our reach for the sky outlook and our never quit mentality is what keeps us working towards a never ending goal of providing fire protection and community service to the citizens and taxpayers of York Township.