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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. |
