The Mauldin Fire Department was established in 1958 by a group of men that were determined to help save lives and property. It all started in a town with a one-mile radius, and a population so small everyone knew each other. The only fire protection the City had came from Donaldson Air Force Base. The base would fight structure fires, but left the grass fires and field fires to the local men. It was obvious to the local people that the growing community of Mauldin needed a fire department of its own.

In April of 1959, City Council appointed a committee of three men to organize a volunteer fire department. The first truck obtained by the city was a 1943 International, an old army surplus truck that had nothing but a hatchet and 150-feet of old hose. Local people donated tires and other equipment to get the truck running. The first Mauldin Volunteer Fire Station was an old, unused vocational building donated by the school system.

Today, the Mauldin Fire Department consists of 3 fire stations, 9 pieces of apparatus and 34 employees. The fire department covers a total area of 23.55 square miles. It is now equipped with some of the best firefighting and rescue equipment available, and is staffed by highly dedicated public safety professionals.