The Hiles Fire Department was started in 1946 by residents Mike Hanson and H.A. Harkins.  A used LaFrance pumper with an open cab and a hood that  was about twelve feet long originally served the Town of Hiles.  Engine No. 2 was purchased new in 1952 and was in service for forty years.  The fire department now consists of two fully equipped stations - Station A in the main part of the Town of Hiles and Station B in the northern part of the town near Butternut and Franklin Lakes.  Station B was started in 1988 to provide for improved protection of the developing areas around the northern lakes in the Town.

The purpose of the Hiles Volunteer Fire Department is to prevent fire, to safeguard the lives and property of all people of the Town, and to implement fire suppression and fire rescue operations when called upon to do so for the saving of life, property, and resources.  The fire department  provides EMS First Responder services supplementing the emergency medical services of the Crandon Area Rescue Squad, the Eagle River Memorial Hospital, and the Phelps Area EMS Squad.

The department provides fire prevention and protection services for the 144 square miles in the Town.  Mutual aid agreements exist with all departments in the  surrounding communities.  In addition, the department has agreements with the Department of Natural Resources and the US Forest Service for assistance in the protection of state and national forest areas.

The department inspects all public facilities twice a year, hosts open houses and provides demonstrations and educational information, assists with chimney cleaning for residents, provides home fire safety inspections, and holds various fund raising events to provide additional funding for equipment and supplies.  An annual highlight is the holiday dinner sponsored for all town residents by the Station A of the fire department.  The total department has about 35 members, including almost 20 who are trained and certified in emergency medical care and are dispatched, at the same time as an ambulance, when there is a call for a medical emergency

Hiles Volunteer Fire Department Home Safety Check List