The Norton Fire Department was first formally established in February 1928. Although the Town of Norton at that time did have a hose cart, no organized department had yet been established.

The first Chief of the department was Ed Ruehl. The first meeting was held Thursday February 16, 1928 at 7:00 pm. This tradition still continues with weekly Thursday night training drills.

Primarily a volunteer department, we maintain a membership of 30-35 personnel including one part time firefighter and one Paid Chief. We operate out of two fire stations and have an annual call volume of approximately 100.

We maintain a fleet of 7 apparatus including 2 Engines, 1 85' aerial platform, 1 heavy rescue truck, 1 brush/ mini pumper, 1 haz-mat truck, 1 chief's/ command vehicle and 1 support vehicle.

Services provided include fire suppression, motor vehicle incident responses including vehicle extrication, hazardous materials responses and public safety education.

Our response area includes all of the City of Norton, as well as a substantial area in Wise County encompassing over 40 square miles, and a population of approximately 7900 residents. Our average response time is 2 minutes from time of dispatch.