Little is known about the Fire Department until about 1940.  H. B. “Shorty” Keller served as Chief in the late 1930’s.  Around that time, the Village of Mount Victory had a hand-pulled piece of equipment with a stationary engine and pump.  This was pulled to a fire cistern (which was a hole full of water, covered with a lid) near the fire scene.  Following “Shorty” Keller, the Chief was Walter Thompson. 

Some time later, a Studebaker truck was purchased with a pressure tank on it which held water and soda.  When water was needed at a fire, caustic acid would be added to the tank.  This reacted with the soda to create pressure, which then forced the water out of the hose.  Floyd White mixed the acid with water.  

In 1942, Marlowe Simpson became Chief and Richard Strahm served as Assistant Chief.  During their term, in 1947, the first pumper truck was purchased through the efforts of the Lion’s Club.

In 1954, fire protection was further extended to Hale and Washington Townships after the first tanker truck was purchased.  The equipment was stored on East Taylor Street in the end of the brick building where Gopher Pizza is currently located.  Marlowe Simpson stored the tank truck in LeVans Garage, where the Drive Thru is now.  When the fire station and town hall were built in 1956, the equipment was moved there.  A 500 gpm fire pumper was purchased in 1958 to replace the 1947 pumper.

In 1965, the original tank truck was replaced with a Ford Wilco 1,500 gallon tank truck.

In 1970, Dudley Township became a full member of the association by purchasing an additional 1970 Ford Wilco 1,500 gallon tank truck.  The name was changed to Mount Victory Hale Washington Dudley Township Fire Association.

In 1976, a new Ford Sutphen 1,000 gpm pumper was purchased, necessitating the addition to the existing fire station.

In 1981, Richard Strahm retired as Assistant Chief and Charles Mowery filled that position.

In 1982, after 40 years of service as Chief, Marlowe Simpson retired.  Charles Mowery was appointed Chief with James Moore as Assistant Chief.  That same year, the grass truck was built by the firemen.  No major truck purchases were made since then but new equipment was added, including self-contained breathing apparatus turnout gear, positive pressure ventilation systems, foam equipment, automatic nozzles, dump tank system, and a large diameter fire hose.

In 1986, James Moore resigned as Assistant Chief and Richard Foreman filled that position. 

In 1997, Dennis Hinton and Travis Bahan were appointed Assistant Chiefs.

In 1999, the Mount Victory Hale-Washington-Dudley Township Fire Association was dissolved and the Southeast Hardin Northwest Union Joint Fire District was created.  Since the creation of a Joint Fire District, two new fire levies have passed.  The Seyfert Potato Chip building on South Wheeler Street was purchased. 

In 2001, a custom Sutphen Quint Combination ladder and pumper fire truck was purchased at the same time an addition was being added to the Seyfert building, which now is our current home.

In 2007, Richard Foreman retired.

In 2008, the Fire District purchased a new 3,500 gallon tanker, Tanker 22, and purchased a new grass truck.

In March of 2016, a 2007 Ford McCoy Miller medic squad was purchased from Northern Union Fire District and SEHNWUJFD started servicing our district with both fire and ems services.

In May of 2016, Charles Mowery resigned as Chief and Dennis Hinton was appointed to that position.  Travis Bahan was appointed EMS Chief.

Since that time, a Lucas and Life Pac has been added to the squad.

In 2018, a second squad was purchased.

In October of 2020, Dennis Hinton resigned and Travis Bahan was appointed Chief.  At that time, John Hampton was named Assistant Chief.

Over the years, many people have served the community as firefighters.  Currently we have 28 fire and EMS personnel on our roster.  We serve three townships: Dudley and Hale in Hardin County, Washington in Union County, and also the Village of Mount Victory.  We cover 102 square miles in our District.  The first year we became a District, which was in 1999, we had 69 runs.  In 2019, our number of runs increased to 239.