The Santa Fe Railroad established Slaton in 1911. In 1919, residents organized a bucket brigade to fight fires, led by fire chief Alex DeLong, using chemical tanks and buckets of water drawn from wells to extinguish fires. The following year, the city began work on a water system and fire mains, and in 1922 it bought its first fire truck. Over the years, the volunteer fire department grew in manpower and equipment, operating first from City Hall and then from its own fire station beginning in 1928. Today, firefighters serve Slaton and surrounding communities.