The Wood Dale Fire Department was established in 1937 to serve Wood Dale and the surrounding rural areas. Beginning as a volunteer fire department, it survived solely on the contributions of local residents to cover operational costs. The first fire station was located at the intersection of Wood Dale Rd and Irving Park Rd, and is the current location of the Wood Dale Post Office. In 1953, the Wood Dale Fire Protection District #1 was formed, allowing the district to be an independent taxing body to keep up with a growing population and aging vehicles. The turn of the early 1970’s brought large changes to the district. With rapid growth and rising response numbers, the district transitioned from volunteer to full time personnel. Because of a number of emergency responses being hindered by the passing railway traffic, the original fire station was sold, and two fire stations were built – one on each side of tracks that ran through town. This allowed personnel to respond quickly to any point in the district without the possibility of an extended delay. Since then, Wood Dale Professional Firefighters Local 3594 have provided exceptional fire protection and Advanced Life Support care to the residents of Wood Dale and surrounding areas as requested.