The Allen County Rural Volunteer Fire Department was founded in early 1969. Ray Pershall, with the Allen County State Bank, came up with the idea to start the department where people of the community would be utilized to battle fires. The Allen County State bank agreed to provide funds to purchase and maintain a fire truck from the Iola Fire Department. The fire truck was kept outside behind Iola's fire station until county commissioners found a temporary solution to house the equipment in 2003. 

For 17 years, the department operated out of a storage unit west of Iola. While operating from a storage unit, members began taking firefighting training courses and building trucks to fight fires. As our knowledge in firefighting increased, so did our equipment used to fight fires. 

It was time to be aggressive and persistent to pursue building an actual station to operate from. Four years of research, approaching county commissioners, and help from our community, we were able to move forward with building our station. The property that the new station was to be built on was donated by Robin Boyer. With the help of our community, members of this department, and the county employees, the property was cleared to begin construction. After a year of hard work, a new fire station was completed. The department began operating from the new station in June of 2020.

Thanks to the state of Kansas, training opportunities are offered to all Kansas fire departments. Members of this department attend offered training whenever able to do so. The training we receive is from certified instructors.

Every month, members of this department train in house to improve their firefighting skills. Training along side other agencies with the goal to be more effective protecting the citizens of Allen County.