Department Awards

	On Friday April 23, 2004, Firefighters from Harristown Fire Protection District responded to a Major Explosion at the Formosa Plastics Plant located west of Illiopolis, Illinois. Five workers were fatally injured and two others were seriously injured when an explosion occurred in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production unit.
On October 9, 1992, Firefighters from Harristown Fire Protection District responded to a Explosion of a natural gas pipeline in Elwin, Illinois. The explosion resulted in one death and four injuries to a construction crew. Over 100 Firefighters responded to this incident from various agencies.
	On Sunday September 9, 2001 Battalion Chief's Mark Nixon and John Brownlee drove Engine 1 to The Great Fire Engine Rally in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Engine 1 received a First Place Award in its age category. Engine 1 is a 1960 International / FMC-John Bean Pumper which served as a Front Line Pumper from 1960 to 1976. Engine 1 was the first Engine purchased by the Harristown Fire Protection District in 1959 when the district was organized.