Before there was a formal fire department in La Crosse, fires were fought by volunteer citizens. In the very beginning, there were “bucket brigades,” that would form lines from the Mississippi River to the location of the fire and pass buckets filled with water. After an exceptionally large fire in 1857, a volunteer fire company formed called the Pioneer Engine Company #1 and a fire engine was purchased. That same year Rescue Hook and Ladder Company #1 formed, giving La Crosse two fire companies.

Between 1858 and 1893, several more companies were formed around La Crosse, sometimes dissolving after time. One example was the Washington Fire Company, which was a group of German citizens that organized a company in 1859 for the 5th Ward of La Crosse. During this period, there were many fire house locations that served as headquarters for these companies, but were mainly used to store fire engines, wagons, hoses, and ladders. In 1868, the first fire station was built within the new city hall at 413 Main Street, where the bell tour was used to dry hoses. In 1889, the city purchased a fire alarm system throughout the city, which also helped with efficiency.

When it became obvious that the machinery used for pumping water was too heavy for men to transport to fires on their own, they began using horse teams for transportation. At first, they rented horses from the local livery stable, but they eventually decided they needed to purchase their own team. In 1868, with their new station, the city purchased their first team of horses to pull the engines and carts. This led to more efficient responses to fires. Horses were trained well to react to the siren bell and were often praised for their speed. However, the department began collecting vehicles around 1912 and then started to phase horses out as more vehicles were purchased for efficiency. By the late 1920s, the department was almost completely motorized.

Up until the 1890s, only four men were paid by the city, everyone else was volunteer. A movement to start a full paid fire department for the city began in the early 1890s. In 1896 the department was organized into five stations around the city, captains were appointed at each, and forty-five men were hired to perform their respective duty at one of the stations. As fires became less common the fire department began their focus more on being first responders in different kinds of emergencies—not just fires, but also water rescue, vehicle collisions, and hazardous material removal.