The council of the Village of Bluffton passed an ordinance on January 30th, 1893 to provide for the establishment of a fire department and creating an office of fire engineer for the Village of Bluffton, Allen County, Ohio. The council appointed the first fire chief, D.S. Bushy on May 28, 1894. The name of the original fire department was the Bluffton Cataract Fire Company No. 1. In 1896, the department was renamed the Bluffton Fire Department. The department consisted of 10 men and a fire chief.
The first fire department had a hose cart, engine, and a hook and ladder wagon. Today, the department is consists of 23 members and the fire chief. The fire department maintains 2 engines, 1 aerial platform, 1 tanker/pumper, 1 grass truck, and 1 equipment truck.