Request for Proposal: Investment Manager 

The Pacific Fire Protection District (PFPD) began in 1912 as the Pacific Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD), founded by local citizens. The Fire Chief was appointed, and firefighters were assigned to hose, hydrant, and ladder companies. The city was divided into four sections, with a whistle at Koppits Smith Mill Co. used to alert volunteers. Fire equipment was stored at C.F. Mayle Motor Co., with horses provided by a volunteer to pull the carts. 

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In 1918, PVFD purchased its first motorized fire truck. As the city grew, firefighters raised funds to serve rural areas, buying a 1936 Dodge truck. Rural residents helped cover costs by purchasing fire tags. This approach of the city funding trucks for city use and PVFD funding trucks for rural use continued until the 1970s.  

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By 1945, PVFD bought land (Leber Park) and built its first firehouse that was used until 1999 when the current Station #1 was built on West Osage Street. 

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In 1973, voters officially established the Pacific Fire Protection District. The district was divided into two battalions (Robertsville and Pacific), and by 1980 the first full-time Fire Chief was hired. New equipment followed: a boat (1976), the “Jaws of Life,” and a 55’ aerial ladder truck (1981), which served the wider region for many years. Station #2 was built in Robertsville in 1980, and Station #3 opened in 1982 at the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area. 

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Staffing expanded in later years: a full-time Deputy Chief was hired in 1986; living quarters were added to Station #2 in 1990, and by 1995, Stations #1 and #2 were staffed around the clock. 

 

Today, PFPD is run by a Fire Chief and two Deputy Fire Chiefs. Fire, EMS and rescue services are provided across 78 square miles in Franklin, Jefferson and St. Louis counties. The area includes 20 miles of the Meramec River and multiple lakes and ponds. With limited water access in much of the district, all firefighters are specially trained to operate under such conditions. Stations #1 and #2 respond to approximately 1,800 calls each year.