The Alliance Fire Department, as we know it today, started as the Alert Fire Department in 1891. On March 20, 1900, they became chartered under Alliance Fire Department, with Mr. A. Blackburn as the first Alliance Fire Chief. Today, the Fire Department is led by second-generation Alliance Firefighter, Troy Shoemaker who has served as the Fire Chief since January 2008.
They are considered a combination Fire Department consisting of three organizations. The City of Alliance has five career Fire Department Members: Fire Chief Shoemaker, one Assistant Fire Chief, EMS Services, and three Fire Apparatus Engineers/EMTs. The Alliance Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., consists of 47 volunteer Firefighters/EMTs, and the Alliance Rural Fire Protection District. This long-standing partnership protects our City, rural fire district, and neighbors.
The department recently developed their live-fire training facility, which is incredibly valuable and will continue to grow in the coming years. The Nebraska Ambulance and Equipment Grant, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) awarded the Alliance Fire Department $75,000 towards purchasing a new ambulance. WESTCO also generously gifted the Fire Department $40,000 to replace equipment damaged by combatting the fire at their Tire and Auto Care facility in June of 2022.
The 2022 calendar year was the busiest year on record for the Alliance Fire Department; they ran a total of 1,058 calls for service ranging from community contacts to medical calls, fires, and various other issues. Dedicated volunteers are vital to providing this quality of service. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Chief Shoemaker at (308) 762-2151.