Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department

What Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department does

The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. (AVFD) is an all-volunteer, non-profit emergency services organization incorporated on November 21, 1938, and headquartered at 5200 Southwestern Blvd, Arbutus, Maryland. Designated as Station 350, it serves approximately 50,000 residents across a 40-square-mile area in southwest Baltimore County, including the communities of Arbutus, Catonsville, and Halethorpe. AVFD is one of 29 All-Volunteer fire companies integrated with 22 career stations serving Baltimore County's population of over 800,000. Operations are dispatched exclusively through the Baltimore County 911 system and run 24x7x365, averaging more than 5,000 calls per year across EMS, fire, heavy rescue, and swift water rescue categories.

AVFD's core service offering combines Fire suppression, Heavy Rescue operations, Double-Advanced Life Support (ALS) medic units (a capability held by only two stations in Baltimore County), and a specialized Swift Water Rescue Team that operates as part of Baltimore County's Swift Water Task Force with Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department. A secondary substation at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) campus, opened in May 1999, houses Medic 355 and is staffed by University Members during the school year. The organization maintains a 21-person volunteer roster organized into Board of Directors, Operations (Fire/Rescue, EMS, Special Operations), Administration, and Auxiliary divisions, with all members unpaid and all donations retained 100% by the department.

AVFD's funding model is community-driven and diversified across an annual fund drive, photo fund drive, bingo (since 1938), hall rental for weddings and corporate events, weekly Wednesday food truck events, and an annual carnival, supplemented by Baltimore County government appropriations and employer-matching donations. The department also operates a membership apparel storefront. Membership is open through an application, interview, and membership-vote process. The organization has expanded its volunteer pipeline over time — lowering the membership age requirement from 21 to 18 in 1961, accepting women as full members in 1980, launching a minor membership program (ages 16-18) in 1995, and reorganizing the Auxiliary in 1997 to be co-ed.

Name

Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department

Legal name

Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.

Website

https://arbutusvfd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization (founded 1938) providing Fire, Rescue, Double-ALS EMS, and Swift Water Rescue services to approximately 50,000 residents across 40 square miles in southwest Baltimore County, Maryland, funded by community donations, fundraisers, and county appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE)

Keywords

• Volunteer fire services
• Emergency medical services
• Fire suppression
• Rescue operations
• Swift water rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Arbutus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Fund Drive: Primary direct fundraising campaign to community supporters. The department handles this internally to receive 100% of donations directly. Also accepts employer matching donations.
2. Bingo and Country Store Bingo: Traditional fundraising method that started in 1938 and continued for over 60 years as a major source of income.
3. Hall Rental: Large fire hall available for rent for weddings, corporate events, and special celebrations. Includes parking, customizable seating, and audiovisual equipment.
4. Photo Fund Drive: Annual fall photo fundraising drive.
5. Weekly Food Truck Events: Wednesday evening food truck events from 4pm to 8pm open to the community.
6. Annual Carnival: Traditional community carnival event for fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department (Station 350) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that provides fire suppression, heavy rescue, Double-ALS paramedic, and swift water rescue services 24x7x365 to approximately 50,000 residents across a 40-square-mile area in southwest Baltimore County, Maryland.

Product overview

Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization providing emergency services. The organization operates as a single unified service offering Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services to the community. Services include Fire suppression, Heavy Rescue operations, Double-Advanced Life Support (ALS) medic units, Swift Water Rescue Team, community safety education, hall rental for events, and food truck community events. The department averages over 5,000 emergency calls annually across a 40-square-mile area serving approximately 50,000 people in southwest Baltimore County, Maryland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rescue 3 InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Provided Swift Water Rescue technician training beginning in 1996, establishing AVFD's Swift Water Rescue Team (SRT-35) capabilities.
• Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department (Station 48)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAVFD and Kingsville Vol. Fire Dept. formed the Swift Water Task Force for Baltimore County, providing specialized water rescue capabilities across the region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen's Association: Countywide association representing the 29 all-volunteer fire companies in Baltimore County. Relevant as an enabling/coordinating body that channels funding, training, and policy support to member companies including AVFD.
• National Volunteer Fire Council: National umbrella association representing volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue organizations. AVFD displays NVFC affiliation on its site; relevant as an ecosystem/advocacy peer rather than a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department: Co-partner with AVFD in the Baltimore County Swift Water Task Force; operates as a neighboring all-volunteer fire company (Station 48) with comparable service model and overlapping coverage in Baltimore County.
• Halethorpe Volunteer Fire Company: Volunteer fire company serving the Halethorpe community listed in AVFD's coverage footprint; operates under the same Baltimore County volunteer fire company framework with similar fundraising and emergency response model.
• Catonsville Volunteer Fire Department: Adjacent all-volunteer fire company serving a community within AVFD's stated service area (Arbutus, Catonsville, Halethorpe). Closely comparable in operating model, volunteer-staffing approach, and Baltimore County integration.

Broad incumbents

• Baltimore County Fire Department: The county-level career fire service that AVFD works alongside; operates 22 career stations serving 800,000+ residents and represents the broader umbrella public fire-protection organization within which AVFD operates as Station 350.

Regional players

• Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Company: Nearby Baltimore County all-volunteer fire company operating under the same county volunteer framework; comparable in volunteer-staffing model and integration with the county dispatch system.
• Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company: Another Baltimore County all-volunteer fire company; shares the same volunteer-staffing, fundraising, and county-integration model as AVFD, though serving a different sub-region of the county.
• Violeteville Volunteer Fire Department: The volunteer fire company from which AVFD's founders split in 1937 to form AVFD in 1938. Operates nearby in Baltimore County under an essentially identical volunteer fire service model.

Emerging players

• University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Public Safety: Hosts AVFD's Medic 355 substation since 1999 and provides University Members to staff it during the academic year. Comparable as a campus-based emergency services stakeholder that complements AVFD's core operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArbutusVFD
• Instagraminstagram.com/blvd_bullies35
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbutus-volunteer-fire-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department