Fulton Volunteer Fire Department

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department — and friend, this one starts with fire. It was 1947, and what began as an agricultural brush fire did not stay small for long. That fire accelerated, fast, and before it was done, it had torn through a large part of Fulton.

It started in Copano Village, crossed the highway, and took businesses, homes, and acres of live oak groves and thickets right along with it. That's the kind of fire that changes a community — not just what it looks like, but what it decides to become. Soon after, the citizens of Fulton made a decision.

They needed a fire department of their own, one that could respond to their community quickly. Fifteen men gathered, and they decided to form the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department. Now, deciding and doing are two different things, and these men understood that.

They trained with the Aransas County Emergency Corps to become firefighters — no shortcuts, no pretending. By 1948, the first meetings were being held in the Fulton Schoolhouse, right there at the corner of Third and Cactus streets. Their first fire truck was a 1937 Ford, donated by the city of Rockport.

They needed somewhere to put it, so local carpenters and boat builders — because this is a coastal Texas town, and boat builders solve problems — constructed a stall for that truck using lumber from the old school. Waste not. Later they added an office and a meeting room, and the department started to look like the real thing, because it was.

For many years, the budget came mainly from community donations and support. That worked — until it could work better. In 1979, Oysterfest began.

It started as a fundraiser for one specific purpose: getting the department its Jaws of Life equipment. But what started as a targeted campaign became something bigger, and Oysterfest has been a strong source of funding for the department ever since. Sometimes the solution you build for one problem turns out to be the one that carries you forward.

The work never really stops for a volunteer fire department. Members put in many hours of training — in-house and traveling out to fire training field schools. They partner with the community on fire prevention.

They show up for the annual Fulton Christmas Celebration and Fulton National Night Out. They are, in just about every sense, part of the fabric of this place. The marker says the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department continues to work closely with the community to preserve Fulton's rich heritage.

A fire started that story in 1947. Fifteen men decided it wouldn't end there.

What the marker says

In 1947, an agricultural brush fire quickly accelerated and destroyed a large part of Fulton, starting in Copano Village, crossing the highway and destroying businesses, homes and acres of live oak groves and thickets. Soon after, citizens of Fulton expressed the need for a fire department able to respond to their community quickly. Fifteen men gathered and decided to form the Fulton Volunteer Fire Department. The men trained with the Aransas County Emergency Corps to become firefighters. The first meetings in 1948 were held in the Fulton Schoolhouse at the corner of Third and Cactus streets. The department used a 1937 ford truck, donated by the city of Rockport, as their first fire truck. With help from local carpenters and boat builders, a stall for the fire truck was constructed using lumber from the old school. Later, an office and meeting room were added. For many years, the fire department budget was mainly derived from community donations and support until 1979 when Oysterfest began. From its beginnings as a fundraiser for the department's "Jaws of Life" equipment, the festival has been a strong source of funding. Members of the fire department engage in many hours of training, in-house as well as traveling to fire training field schools. Along with training for the firefighters, the fire department partners with the community for fire prevention training and participates in the annual Fulton Christmas Celebration and Fulton National Night Out. The Fulton Volunteer Fire Department continues to work closely with the community to preserve Fulton's rich heritage.