On June 1, 1948, the Clearwater Village Council purchased a new fire truck from the Luverne Fire Apparatus Company. Several council members, along with a representative from the fire department, traveled to accept the truck.

The new equipment featured a 1,200-gallon water tank, a 200-gallon-per-minute pump powered by a power take-off, and all the tools needed to form a complete firefighting unit.

At that time, the Clearwater Fire Department was just being organized, with 25 men enrolled as its first members. The firefighters met twice a week for training, later switching to twice a month during the colder months. The department’s first Fire Chief was Oscar Strommer, with Orin Oatman serving as Assistant Chief.