Delaware City Fire Company

What Delaware City Fire Company does

Delaware City Fire Company is a non-profit combination fire department founded on January 7, 1887, following a major fire at Holliday's Poolroom on Clinton Street. Designated Station 15 within the New Castle County, Delaware fire-response system, the organization operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year from its headquarters at 815 5th Street, Delaware City. It combines roughly 12 full-time career staff (organized in four shifts under Career Captains/Lieutenants), about 20 part-time personnel, and a volunteer membership base across three categories: Active EMS, Active Fire, and Administrative Member, with a Cadet Program for youth ages 14-18.

The organization's core products are fire suppression and emergency medical services, including ambulance transport with Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support capability. Supporting programs include a public CPR/AED and Stop the Bleed training curriculum, a free smoke alarm installation program, the Knox Box rapid entry system (sold to local property owners for emergency building access), a Cadet youth program, and a Ladies Auxiliary catering and event operation. The apparatus fleet includes standard firefighting vehicles, EMS ambulances, and a specialized off-road UTV ambulance (a 2018 Medstat MS 500 on a modified Intimidator UTV chassis, currently being replaced via 2026 RFP after destruction by fire). Technology is operationally standard; the organization has no software product, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities.

Revenue is generated primarily through community donations (annual Fund Drive plus a 2024 Capital Campaign targeting $100,000), supplemented by ambulance transport billing outsourced to Arete Healthcare Services and modest hall rental income ($800-$1,000 per 5-hour event with tiered catering options). Part-time staff are paid $19.50/hour. Total annual incidents run at roughly 2,461-2,559 (1,001 fire and 1,558 EMS in 2024; 933 fire and 1,528 EMS in 2025), and the organization partners with the 22-company New Castle County mutual-aid network, DEMA, Delaware State Fire School, and New Castle County Government for emergency coordination.

Name

Delaware City Fire Company

Legal name

Delaware City Fire Company No. 1, Inc.

Website

https://dcfc15.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Delaware City Fire Company is a non-profit combination volunteer fire and EMS department (Station 15, New Castle County, Delaware) founded in 1887, providing 24/7/365 fire suppression, ambulance transport, public safety training, and hall rental services to a defined New Castle County fire district, funded primarily through community donations and EMS billing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Services

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Volunteer fire services
• Emergency medical services
• Fire suppression operations
• Public safety training
• Ambulance transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Delaware City, Delaware

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Annual Fund Drive / Donations: Tax-deductible donations from community members to offset day-to-day operational costs. Fund drive helps keep up with increasing costs to deliver services as call volumes increase.
2. Hall Rental: Rental of banquet hall facilities for events. Options include rental without kitchen ($1,000 for 5 hours), rental with Ladies Auxiliary catering ($800), or rental with outside caterer ($900). Additional fees for extra time beyond 5 hours, bar services, and Ladies Auxiliary catering.
3. EMS Billing Services: Third-party EMS billing handled by Arete Healthcare Services (100 W Commons Blvd, Suite 210, New Castle, DE 19720). Billing includes ambulance transport payments and EMS report requests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Delaware City Fire Company (Station 15, New Castle County) is a combination volunteer, part-time, and career fire department providing 24/7 365 fire suppression, emergency medical services including BLS and ALS ambulance transport, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, and rescue operations. Beyond emergency response, it offers community-facing programs including CPR/AED and Stop the Bleed training, free smoke alarm installation, Knox Box rapid entry system installation, youth cadet programming, and banquet hall rentals.

Product overview

Delaware City Fire Company is a combination fire department (Station 15, New Castle County, Delaware) providing integrated emergency services. The organization offers firefighting and EMS as core services, supplemented by public safety programs including CPR/AED training, Stop the Bleed training, and free smoke alarm installation. Additional services include Knox Box rapid entry system installation and hall rental facilities. The department operates a Cadet Program for youth ages 14-18 and maintains volunteer, part-time, and full-time staffing. EMS billing is handled through Arete Healthcare Services. A current initiative involves soliciting proposals for replacement off-road UTV ambulance equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,461 combined fire and EMS incidents responded to in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Arete Healthcare ServicescoreOthersThird-party EMS billing and collections services provider. Handles all ambulance billing, payments, and EMS reports for the fire company. Located at 100 W Commons Blvd, Suite 210, New Castle, DE 19720. Contact: 800-697-5147 (Phone), 888-456-3155 (Fax).
• New Castle County Fire Companies NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid and coordination network with 22 fire companies across New Castle County including Christiana Fire Company, Aetna Hose Hook & Ladder, Hockessin Fire Company, and others for emergency response coordination and resource sharing.
• New Castle County Volunteer Firefighters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-wide association for volunteer firefighters providing training, resources, and coordination among fire departments in New Castle County.
• Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)coreOthersState agency for emergency management coordination. The fire company operates under DEMA guidelines and coordinates with the agency for major emergencies and disaster response.
• Delaware Office of EMScoreOthersState office overseeing EMS operations, licensing, and standards for emergency medical services in Delaware.
• Delaware State Fire MarshalcoreOthersState office responsible for fire prevention, investigation, and enforcement of fire safety codes in Delaware.
• Delaware State Fire SchoolcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFirefighter training and certification programs. DCFC members receive training through Delaware State Fire School for firefighting and EMS certification.
• Delaware State Fire Prevention CommissioncoreOthersState commission overseeing fire prevention programs and standards for fire departments in Delaware.
• Delaware State PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw enforcement agency coordinating with DCFC on traffic control, crime scene security, and emergency response operations.
• New Castle County GovernmentcoreOthersCounty government providing funding, coordination, and oversight for emergency services in New Castle County.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Aetna Hose Hook & Ladder Company: Long-standing volunteer fire company in New Castle County, Delaware providing fire suppression and EMS services. Directly comparable to DCFC in service mix, volunteer-based model, and county coordination role.
• Belvedere Volunteer Fire Company: Volunteer fire and EMS company in New Castle County, Delaware. Directly comparable in nonprofit volunteer structure, hall rental and community program offerings, and station designation within the county network.
• Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company: Volunteer fire company serving the Port Penn area of New Castle County, Delaware. Comparable small-community volunteer fire department with fire suppression, EMS, and community fundraising programs.
• Minquadale Fire Company: Volunteer fire company serving the Minquadale area of New Castle County, Delaware. Comparable in service scope (fire, EMS, community programs) and reliance on volunteer and combination staffing.
• Cranston Heights Fire Company: Volunteer fire and EMS company in New Castle County, Delaware. Directly comparable combination department sharing mutual aid response, county-level training resources, and donation-based funding.
• Claymont Fire Company: Volunteer fire and EMS company serving Claymont in New Castle County, Delaware. Comparable combination fire department providing fire suppression, EMS, and community engagement programs.
• Hockessin Fire Company: Volunteer fire and EMS company serving Hockessin in New Castle County, Delaware. Comparable combination fire department delivering fire suppression, EMS, and community programs with similar revenue and staffing model.
• Christiana Fire Company: Combination volunteer fire company serving the Christiana area in New Castle County, Delaware. Directly comparable as a fellow Station within the New Castle County mutual aid network with similar volunteer/part-time staffing and EMS billing model.
• Five Points Fire Company: Volunteer fire company in New Castle County, Delaware providing fire and EMS response under the same countywide coordination structure as DCFC, with a similar community-based service model.

Broad incumbents

• Wilmington Fire Department: Career-municipal fire department serving Wilmington, Delaware. Comparable in core emergency services but is a larger government-operated department with full-time staffing rather than a volunteer nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/dcfc15
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzRG9Um1199SM0AbEjqYBtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DelawareCityFire
• Instagraminstagram.com/delawarecityfire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/delawarecityfire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Delaware City Fire Company