West Rutland's department has given the town fire protection continuously since 1891; 2026 is its 135th year. Each October it brings West Rutland School's youngest classes to the station for Fire Prevention Week.
1891
The West Rutland Fire Department is established.
2019
Joseph Skaza retires as chief at the end of the year after 28 years, staying on as a member after 47 years of service. Michael Skaza becomes chief for 2020.
2021
Firefighters hand out or install 172 smoke and 55 carbon monoxide detectors in 32 homes, from a state programme. A dry hydrant goes into the river at the end of Pleasant Street, in Whipple Hollow, with a conservation districts grant.
85 calls that year
2022
A new rescue pumper is ordered to replace Engine 3, a mini-pumper.
72 calls that year
2023
New battery-powered extrication tools are ordered to replace a set about 25 years old, and the radios are upgraded, all from capital savings.
87 calls that year
2024
A 2025 Freightliner-Pierce rescue pumper arrives, replacing the 2006 Ford mini-pumper, with a new radio repeater at the station.
81 calls that year
2025
Members pay for a monument and an engraved board at the station listing every known member, past and present. Three new members join.
88 calls that year
Calls
Calls have held between 72 and 88 a year.
Emergency calls, by year
852021
722022
872023
812024
882025
Each figure is from the fire chief's report in the following year's town report, which describes the past year.
West Rutland in Rutland County. Every fire station in the county is marked —
1 here, 37 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.
Working here
No experience needed: the department provides all the training and equipment.
18 or over
A West Rutland resident and citizen in good standing
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
Burn permitsRequired for outdoor burning; from the town's forest fire warden. See the town's 2019 fire ordinance.
Key boxesRequired with a new or upgraded fire alarm or sprinkler system, except in single-family homes.
Read in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not recorded yet
Nothing is written up here for burn permits, budget.
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.