The City of Milton Fire Department had its origins as the Milton Volunteer Fire Department in 1914. After the third of three devastating fires (1885, 1892, and 1909) that each destroyed most of downtown Milton, the Town Council placed an order for fire hose and equipment. When this equipment arrived, consisting of three hand-drawn hose reels, 1,500 feet of hose, nozzles and wrenches, a group of prominent local citizens gathered to establish a fire department on April 21, 1914. The department, headed by Chief Pinkney M. Bruner, tendered its services to the Town of Milton, and was given charge of the newly purchased firefighting equipment.