Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services
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Operational area | |
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Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
County | ![]() |
Agency overview[1] | |
Employees | ~900 |
Staffing | Career & Volunteer |
Fire chief | John Butler |
EMS level | ALS |
IAFF | 2000 |
Facilities and equipment[2] | |
Battalions | 2 |
Stations | 12 |
Engines | 25 |
Trucks | 3 |
Platforms | 4 |
Squads | 3 |
Ambulances | 19 |
Tenders | 5 |
HAZMAT | 1 |
Website | |
Official website | |
IAFF website |
The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services provides fire protection and emergency medical services to Howard County, Maryland.[1]
History
On July 10, 1888, Ellicott City citizens formed The Volunteer Fire Company of Ellicott City No. 1. On August 24, 1888, authorization was granted to purchase a hand-drawn ladder wagon from the Charles T. Holloway Company, Baltimore, Maryland. The wagon arrived on October 5, 1888 and was based in the old foundry. The first firehouse built in Ellicott City was constructed in 1896 with a cupola to house a firebell donated by the B&O railroad to summon firemen.[3]
In 1924, the Howard County Volunteer Fireman's Association was formed operating out of a new combination firehouse and transit terminal on Main street in Ellicott City with an $10,500 600 gallon American LaFrance triple combination engine.[4] Insurance agent Benjamin Mellor became the first fire chief serving until 1934.[5] In April 1940, a new fire station was dedicated in Ellicott City.[6]
On 18 April 1959, the Central Alarm went into operation in an office above the Ellicott City Jail.[7]
In 1991, the department implemented a customer service program, more commonly found in the commercial industry.[8] In 1996, Fire Chief Joseph Herr is replaced by Bill Goddard.[9] In 2014 the criteria for contingent firefighters that supplement volunteer stations without benefits changed to require the same qualifications as career staff, promoting the departure of 33 of 34 contingent staff primarily from Lisbon and West Friendship.[10]
Stations & Apparatus
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Savage_Maryland_Vol_Fire_Department_Tower.jpg/220px-Savage_Maryland_Vol_Fire_Department_Tower.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Howard_County_Fire_and_Rescue_111.jpg/220px-Howard_County_Fire_and_Rescue_111.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/WestFriendship_VFD.jpg/220px-WestFriendship_VFD.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/Banneker_Fire_Station.jpg/220px-Banneker_Fire_Station.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Howard_County_Fire_and_Rescue_Station_8.jpg/220px-Howard_County_Fire_and_Rescue_Station_8.jpg)
There are a total of 12 stations under the umbrella of the department, 5 of which are run by the county. The remaining 7 are volunteer stations staffed by county employees and supplemented by corporate volunteers.[1] The volunteer departments, which are marked below with a V are as follows:
- Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department - Station 1[11]
- Ellicott City Volunterr Fire Department - Stations 2 & 8[12]
- West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department - Station 3[13]
- Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company - Station 4[14]
- Fifth District Volunteer Fire Department Clarksville - Station 5[15]
- Savage Volunteer Fire Department - Station 6[16]
City | Engine | Truck | EMS | Wildland | Command | Special | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1V | Elkridge | Engine 11, Engine 13 | Medic 15 Medic 16 |
Brush 18 | Chief 1 | Squad 1, Utility 1 | [11] | |
2V | Ellicott City | Engine 21, Engine 22 | Tower 2 | Medic 25 Medic 26 |
Brush 27 | Chief 2 | Rescue Squad 2, Utility 2 | [12] |
3V | West Friendship | Engine 31, Engine 32 | Tower 3 | Medic 35 Medic 36 |
Chief 3 | Utility 3, Utility 31 Tanker 3, Tanker 34 |
[13] | |
4V | Lisbon | Engine 41, Engine 42 Engine 43, Engine 44 |
Medic 45 | Brush 47 Brush 48 |
Utility 4 | [14] | ||
5V | Clarksville | Engine 51, Engine 52 Engine 54 |
Medic 55 Medic 56 |
Brush 58 | Tanker 5, Squad 5 Utility 5, Dive 5, Boat 5 |
[15] | ||
6V | Savage | Engine 61, Engine 62 Rescue Engine 6 |
Truck 6 | Medic 65 Medic 66 |
Brush 68 | Chief 6 | Utility 6, Canteen 6 | [16] |
7 | Columbia | Engine 71, Engine 72 | Truck 7 | Medic 75 | Brush 77 | [2] | ||
8V | Ellicott City | Engine 81, Engine 82,
Engine 83 |
Medic 85 Medic 86 EMS 2 |
Brush 87 | Chief 2 | Air Unit 17, Utility 8 | [12] | |
9 | Long Reach | Engine 91, Engine 92 | Medic 95 Medic 96 |
[2] | ||||
10 | Rivers Park | Engine 101 | Tower 10 | Medic 105 | Special Operations 10 | [2] | ||
11 | Scaggsville | Engine 111 | Medic 115 | Tanker 11, Boat 11 | [2] | |||
13 | Glenwood | Engine 131 | Medic 135 | Brush 137 | Tanker 13 | [2] |
References
- ^ a b c "About Us". Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Fire and Rescue Services". Howard County Fire. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Marsha Wight Wise. Ellicott City. p. 92.
- ^ Marsha Wight Wise. Ellicott City. p. 94.
- ^ "Ellicott City Covered County Many Years". The Times (Ellicott City). 31 March 1965.
- ^ Louise Vest (7 April 2015). "Historic home in Elkridge destroyed by 1940 fire". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ "Center for Emergencies". The Times. 31 March 1965.
- ^ Darl R. McBride, Howard County. Fire and Rescue Services (1993). A Customer Service Program for the Howard County, Maryland Fire and Rescue Department.
- ^ Amanda Yeager (21 November 2014). "Howard fire chief resigns". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Amanda Yeager (10 July 2014). "Howard County fire contingent ranks drop to one". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ a b "Apparatus". Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department.
- ^ a b c "Apparatus". Ellicott City Volunteer Fire Department. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Apparatus". West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Apparatus". Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Apparatus". Fifth District Volunteer Fire Department Clarksville. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Apparatus". Savage Volunteer Fire Department. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)