Poultney's volunteers answer crashes, structure fires, EMS assists, alarms and wilderness rescues. On calls alone they gave 1,518.5 hours in 2025, and the department logs about 1,500 hours of training a year.
1998
The department moves into its new building at 55 Firehouse Lane.
2023
A gift from the Conine Family Foundation buys a UTV for off-road rescues as the Slate Valley Trails grow. Nate Bourn, a junior firefighter who rose to assistant chief and town fire warden, leaves after 14 years to become a full-time firefighter.
159 calls that year
2024
A 2022 Ford F-550 4x4 mini pumper, ordered in 2022, arrives in April to replace a 1994 International as the first truck out to crashes and rescues. Fifteen members train at a Vermont Fire Academy live-burn day.
167 calls that year
2025
Town meeting is asked for $20,000 to start a length-of-service award for members of 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Ten members attend the academy's live-burn day.
150 calls that year
Calls
Crashes are the largest single call type every year, followed by EMS assists, structure fires and alarms.
Calls for service, by year
1592023
1672024
1502025
Calendar years, from the chief's report in each town report.
Calls by type, 2025
Motor vehicle crashes31
EMS assists20
Structure fires19
Fire alarms18
Grass and brush fires12
Good intent12
Carbon monoxide alarms7
Hazmat6
Utility calls6
Service calls5
Vehicle fires4
Smell of propane3
Rescues3
Smoke conditions3
Rubbish fire1
Calendar 2025; the types add up to the 150 calls reported.
Poultney in Rutland County. Every fire station in the county is marked —
2 here, 36 in neighbouring towns, which is
who turns out on a mutual aid call.
Boundaries and water from VCGI; fire district lines are not town lines, and
village districts and contracted coverage cross them. A town line runs out into
the lake, so the shoreline here is the water drawn over the boundary, not the
boundary itself.
Money
The town funds the department, a truck payment, an equipment fund and firehouse repairs: $341,283 in all proposed for fiscal 2027.
Fiscal year 2027, as proposed
Fire Department
$173,550
Fire equipment fund
$130,000
Firehouse capital repair
$20,483
Fire truck payment
$17,250
From the town's general government budget.
Fire Department line, by year
FY2027, proposed
$173,550
FY2026, budget
$166,350
FY2025, spent
$128,050
The town's appropriation for the department's running costs.
In an emergency dial 911. These are business lines.
Burning
Vermont requires a Permit to Kindle Fire from the town’s Forest Fire Warden for anything larger than a campfire — except where snow covers the ground at the burn site, or the fire is at least 200 feet from anything that will carry flame. Wardens can suspend burning outright when fire danger is high. Who to ask locally is recorded department by department; where it is blank below, the fire department itself is the place to start.
For residents
JoinStop by the firehouse any Tuesday night, 6:30 to 8:30. Roles range from scene support to firefighting; juniors are welcome.
Town of Poultney, 2024 Town Report — Fire Department report, PDF page 41. A scanned report, read with text recognition; its listed types add up to 161 of the 167 calls
Read in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not recorded yet
Nothing is written up here for joining, burn permits.
Not because it does not exist — because nobody has typed it in. If you know this
department, tell us and it goes on the record with its
source named.