West Des Moines Fire Department History

Founding and Early Equipment (1893 – 1954)

A historical photo of the first West Des Moines fire station, a one-story brick building with two large arched wooden doors and a small bell tower on the roof. The City Council formed the first fire committee on October 9, 1893, and named Benjamin Manning as the first chief. In June 1894, the city authorized the purchase of 20 fire extinguishers for local businesses. At that time, fire protection relied on volunteers using a "bucket brigade" (passing buckets of water by hand).

In June 1900, the council set boundaries for the first fire district and named W.H. Carmody as chief. In October of that year, the city built its first one-story fire station downtown to house a newly purchased hose and hose cart. As the population grew, the city added a fire truck, axes, ladders, and protective gear.

Lloyd "Shorty" Nelson was appointed chief in 1948. In 1954, a new City Hall was built, which served as the department's second location and led to the closing of the original station.

 

Growth and Professional Staffing (1970s – 2000)

In 1972, a second fire station opened, which now serves as the department’s administration headquarters. As West Des Moines grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, the city created its first full-time department position. In 1973, George Oster was hired as the full-time Administrator for both the Fire and Building Departments.

After Chief Oster left in 1977, Randy Bracken was hired as the first full-time Fire Chief in 1978. Because of the growth of the West Des Moines, its first full-time firefighters were hired in October 1988. Chief Bracken retired in March 2000.

The Modern Era (2000 – Present)

In April 2000, Don Cox was named Fire Chief after serving as a volunteer since 1972. Under his leadership, Station 18 opened on Grand Avenue in 2002, becoming the home of the Department Memorial and Museum.

On July 8, 2002, the Fire Department and EMS began staffing all four stations with either firefighters or paramedics 24 hours a day. Station 19 opened on Mills Civic Parkway in 2007; while initially for EMS only, six full-time firefighters were added in 2014.

Chief Cox retired in 2015, and Craig Leu was sworn in as the new Fire Chief in July 2015. In 2020, Chief Leu was named the combined Fire and EMS Chief for the city. In November 2021, fire and EMS administration moved to 318 5th Street, a building originally built in 1953 and now remodeled to house leadership and prevention teams.