The Madison County Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. was spun off of the original organization "The Town of Madison Volunteer Fire Department." The town fire department was created in 1937 by several concerned citizens interested in protecting the town from fire disaster. A small beginning the department only consisted of three documented members, Chief Ralph Gibbs, John Brown, and Roger Payne. They had two hose carts with 2-1/2" hose and one ladder.
The idea of the Madison County Volunteer Fire Department was thought of by Mr. John Brown around the end of World War II. The spring of 1945 brought together a steering committee consisting of John Brown, Ralph Gibbs, Jack Clore, and Russell Jenkins to start up plans for the department. A public meeting was held to draw support for the department and one meeting later a slate of officers was formed to run the company. The slate consisted of Chief John Brown, Asst, Chief J.C. Bushong, Captain Ralph Jenkins, First Lieutenant James O. Clore, Second Lieutenant Jack Smith, Seargent Jack Clore, Secretary/Treasurer Charles Ross, Engineer Charles Hawkins, and Marshall T.H. Lillard.
July of 1945 brought the discussion of a new truck and in August of that year a contract was signed for a Maxim body with a 500 GPM pump, a 300 gallon booster tank, and all necessary portable equipment. The body was mounted on a Chevrolet chassis purchased from Mountain View Chevrolet. July of 1945 also brought the beginning of the first Madison Firehouse, through a Board of Supervisors meeting it was agreed to lease the fire company public land to construct the building. The money for the new building was from donations and the hard work of the Ladies Auxilary. The total bill for the contruction of the new truck and the firehouse came to about $40,000.00.
The Fire Company of Madison County had humble beginnings, drawn up from hard work and the dedication of citizens that felt a need to help the people of Madison County. Since its inception the fire company has prided itself in helping the people of Madison in numerous ways.
Today the fire company is composed of a roster of over fifty members with eight pieces of
apparatus, responding to over three hundred fifty calls a year. Though the make of the fire
company has changed with the times the heart has remained the same, as well as the
structure put in place by the founding members. The fire company was proud to construct
a new firehouse in 2001, about a mile from where the original home was constructed. The
facility brought welcome space and the ability to better serve the citizens of Madison
County. Over sixty years ago the fire company was started with the help of the community
and nothing has changed, with the greatly appreciated help of the community through the "Firehouse Gang" program the new firehouse has been paid for.