The Cottleville Fire Department was founded on January 25, 1908. Funds for the operating budget were initially derived from a 75 cent fee levied per person. If someone opted not to pay the fee, they simply didn’t receive fire protection and could not participate with the fire department. In the beginning, coverage area for the fire department was determined by how far the firefighters could pull the hand drawn equipment from their fire station. That first station was constructed on the same site that our current Fire Station 1 and Administrative offices occupy today.
As the years past and the area grew, so did the department. By 1970, through an increase in the cost of fire tags, bathrooms were added to the fire station. At that time, the district was staffed by an all volunteer force that raised additional monies for the fire department budget through dances, picnics, bake sales, etc. The fire department was truly the center of the community especially when it came to social events.
Throughout the 1980’s the district was able to pass a series of small tax increases that allowed for the hiring of full-time firefighters in an effort to better serve our citizenry. In 1990, the district opened Fire Station 3 at Highway’s 94 and 40 in the Weldon Springs area. In 2000, Fire Station 4 was opened and the district hired six additional personnel.
Today the Cottleville Community Fire Protection District encompasses 38 square miles of St. Charles County that includes five municipalities (Cottleville, Weldon Springs, O’Fallon, St. Peters, and Dardenne Prairie) and areas of unincorporated St. Charles County. The district responds to over 3000 calls a year, and protects a residential population of over 60,000. With the growth of business and industry in the district, our daytime population is well above 100,000. In addition, we are responsible for the coverage of large sections of Highway 94/364, and Interstate 64.
If you would like any further information about what services the Cottleville Fire District offers or general information, please contact us a 636-447-6655.