In the early 1980's the rural fire truck of the Trenton Fire Dept. broke down in route to a fire. They announced they would no longer furnish fire protection to the rural areas. Faced with no fire protection, residents of Edinburg, Leisure Lake, and Brimson got together to come up with an answer to the problem. Although through several Meetings, the Grundy County Court was going to form some kind of a county fire protection, the committee of the Edinburg, Leisure, Leisure Lake, and Brimson area through a poll elected to form a Fire Department in their own area, as they felt they were too far from Trenton.

In March of 1982 the E.L.B. Rural Fire Department was formed in cooperation and with the aid of the Missouri Conservation Department. With a 1963 Dodge chassis and a 1941 Ford Fire truck and some other equipment bought with a matching fund grant the E.L.B. Fire Dept. became a viable Rural Fire Department. A board of Directors consisting of 3 members from each area was elected the first President, Alene Herring the first permanent Sec. and Tres. and John Wise was appointed as temporary Fire Chief. In the fall of the same year a 3 bay, Fire Station was completed in the Leisure Lake area from an old salvaged building with a minimum amount of money loaned interest free from a Leisure Lake long time resident. We were on our way. Through a lot of hard work and determination the members of the E.L.B. Fire Department, aquired more trucks and equipment all on a $20 per year membership. After 9 years of membership we finally had to increased it to $25 per year. In 1993 the E.L.B. Fire Department built 2 more bays on to the fire station and remodeled the old part of the station. We now have 6 pcs. of Fire Appartatus including 3 pumpers, 1 Tanker, 1 Brush Truck fast response, and a Jeep. We still have 2 of the original Board members and the temporary Fire Chief with the E.L.B. Rural Fire Department. We are proud of our Fire Department and we are here to stay.

Although the Bi-Laws have been rewrote we still have a nine member board from the 3 community. We normally have around 18 volunteers and we still have a lot of work to do.