The Potomac Valley Fire Company known as the "Protector of the Valley" has been serving the citizens in an area known as "The Valley" since 1966. The Potomac Valley Fire Company was organized and incorporated in 1966 when members of the community realized the need for fire protection after a fire struck the community. Prior to forming the Potomac Valley Fire Company, fire protection was provided by fire companies in Boonsboro, Brunswick and Sharpsburg. The company first moved into a small 2 bay garage in 1967 on donated land which the fire company is still located today.
In 1971 a small addition housing a kitchen and a community room to hold Bingo's and dinners was added. The company continued to operate out of this small station until 1998 when the land behind the station was donated and plans for a new station began.
In 2000 the Potomac Valley Fire Company moved into the new station which is attached to the original station. This new 4 bay station includes office space, a kitchen, a lounge, men and women's locker room and bunk rooms. Today the station houses a wide range of emergency equipment to better handle the wide range of calls we respond to in our diverse first due area. Located in the small community of Dargan, Maryland the PVFC serves 42 sq miles of rural and mountainous area in southern Washington County with a population of 4,800 citizens. This area known as "The Valley" is nestled between the Potomac River and the southern end of the Catoctin Mountains in extreme southern Washington County, Maryland. We are responsible for not only protecting the citizens of "The Valley" but we also serve the thousands of daily commuters on Route 340; a major commuter route from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to Interstates 70 and 270 towards Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
A major East/West branch of the CSX Railroad also passes through our first due response area. This line is a major freight line in and out of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland hauling numerous hazardous materials among its cargo. Thousands of commuters use the Marc train on this same rail line daily to and from Washington, D.C. The Historic C&O Canal runs alongside the Potomac River attracting numerous hikers and bikers to the area. The Appalachian Trail passes through our first due area; again attracting numerous hikers. Maryland Heights; a large rocky outcropping overlooking the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers in our area bring hundreds of hikers, rock climbers and campers. The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers attract thousands of fisherman and white water rafters to our first due response area year round. The other end of the area borders the Historic Antietam Creek and Antietam Battlefield which attracts thousands of visitors to the area.
Another historic attraction in our area is the Kennedy Farm House located on the Historic John Brown Farm. The PVFC due to its location has a mutual aid agreement with Frederick County, Maryland, Loudoun County, Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia which adds additional communities and thousands of citizens to our serves area. While our daily first due area population is around 4,800 people, it increases to well over 10,000 on the weekends as visitors come to our first due to enjoy all the local attractions. Along with visitors to our area a major commuter route passes through our area bringing an additional 20,000+ commuters through our area daily.
The Potomac Valley Fire Company was a 100% Volunteer Fire Company until 2018 when 3 Career personnel (1 per shift) were added to assist with around the clock coverage. On the Volunteer side, the active membership of 42 members. There are 28 responding members who are currently active and responding to calls, 14 non-responding members who perform administrative functions, fund raising and kitchen activities. The responding members of the Potomac Valley Fire Company are trained to National standards and receive their training through the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute (MFRI); a division of the University of Maryland. Currently 26 of our responding members are certified as a Firefighter I or higher, 20 of them are certified as Firefighter II, 5 of them are certified as Officer 1 or higher. 24 are also certified as First Responder's or Emergency Medical Technician Basic and 4 members that are National Registry Paramedics.
The members of the PVFC has always striven to provide the best service to the citizens and communities which we serve. We would like to thank the citizens in our area for their continued support of our fund raisers and their generous donations. Without the support of our amazing community we could not be who we are and where we are today.
THANK YOU.
