The A.F. Dobler Hose Company was organized on March 1st of 1900 and was named after Dobler because of his generous $200 donation for the first piece of mechanized fire equipment which was a hand pulled hose cart. The organizational meeting elected a chairman, foreman, president, secretary, and a treasurer. 60 men were also added into the active list to serve in the department for a period of four years during this time.

On March 12th, 1900 plans were made to purchase another hose cart from the Ashtabula, OH Fire Department along with boots, rain coats, speaking trumpets, and badges. Also during this time, another fire company named "The Citizens Home Company" (known locally at the time as "Hooks") existed. On March 8th, 1904 the two fire companies merged together to form the A.F. Dobler Hose & Ladder Company. Dobler Hose was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 2nd, 1907.

The first location of the A.F. Dobler Hose & Ladder Co. was located at the current site of the car dealership on Wall Street until approximately 1921. The fire department then moved to the old Girard power house located on Mechanic Street. In 1950, the fire department relocated to 12 Mechanic Street, just in time since Dobler Hose had steadily grown to incorporate two engines, an ambulance for medical calls, a rescue truck, and a brush truck.

The fire department built a new fire station on Walnut Street to house both its operations, equipment, and apparatus. The relocation from Mechanic Street took place during December 2010.

In November 2011, the department purchased a truck now known as 549.

Up until December 1st, 2011, emergency radio dispatching and communications were handled by the West County Emergency Communications Center located on Meadville Road (SR-18). The Erie County 911 Center took over these duties for not only the Girard Fire Department, but several other police and fire agencies in Western Erie County in an effort to centralize and consolidate communications within the county.