THE HOWARD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT was formed in 1962 by a small group of Howard residents. Harold Willoughby and Denzel Goodwin were listed on the  charter.
The first "fire truck" was a pick-up truck. In the years that followed we were loaned a Forestry Service truck from the state.Then in the summer of 1994, on our own we acquired our 1949 4X4 fire truck. After putting a newer larger engine in it, the "Red Truck" (as it was called) became the flagship of our fleet. We now have several more "modern" trucks, but the Red Truck holds a special place in our hearts and it now sits at Station 1.  Our first firehouse was the Willoughby dugout on Co Rd 45 & Co Rd 4. It is still used for storage.

Our Stout Creek Firehouse is older than our Red Truck by almost 50 years. It was erected in 1904. The school district used it for school bus storage, but when they no longer had use for it they leased it to the HVFD. With help from our volunteers, we put in a new floor and ceiling on the inside of the building. We have attempted to keep the exterior as original as possible. Since the overhead door was already installed, we were able to use it as a firehouse. We still keep two trucks in the Stout Creek Firehouse.

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In March of 2004 the new station was dedicated along Hi Way 50.  The new Howard Volunteer Fire Station / Community Center is 7500 square foot facility, funded entirely by residents and friends of this community, now houses seven response vehicles and the two AVA ambulances. About 3,000 square feet of office, kitchen, restrooms, storage, and meeting space is located on  two floors at one end of the building. . The number of volunteers and the work they've contributed is incredible. To make this possible we had major work and/or material contributions from businesses and individuals almost on a daily basis.