INDEPENDENT HOSE COMPANY-1

What INDEPENDENT HOSE COMPANY-1 does

Independent Hose Company Station #1 is a volunteer fire and rescue organization that has continuously operated in Frederick, Maryland since 1818, making it the oldest such company in the State of Maryland. The company provides fire suppression, technical rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), and community event support from its station at 310 Baughmans Lane on the west side of Frederick City. It serves Frederick County residents and businesses through the 911 emergency dispatch system as designated Frederick County Fire & Rescue Station #1, with a self-owned apparatus fleet that includes engines, a tower, a tanker, ambulances, brush, canteen, and command vehicles. The organization sustains its operations through an integrated team of roughly nine volunteer and career personnel, supplemented by community donations processed via Venmo and PayPal, weekly Maryland Firefighter 50/50 raffles (with pot totals exceeding $40,000), and periodic community BINGO events. In 2024 the company handled 6,540 incidents — 1,846 fire calls and 4,694 EMS calls — the highest combined fire and EMS call volume in Frederick County. The organization carries no AI, software, or proprietary technology components beyond standard fire and EMS apparatus, and its competitive position is grounded in its regulatory designation, 200+ years of brand recognition, and self-funded infrastructure rather than any technology differentiation.

Name

INDEPENDENT HOSE COMPANY-1

Legal name

Independent Hose Company

Website

https://ihc-1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1818

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Independent Hose Company Station #1 is Maryland's oldest continuously operating volunteer fire company (founded 1818), providing fire suppression, rescue, and EMS services to Frederick County from its self-owned station and apparatus fleet, funded by donations, raffles, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAGAB

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Law Enforcement & Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS)

Keywords

• Volunteer fire services
• Emergency medical services
• Fire suppression services
• Rescue operations
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Community donations via Venmo and PayPal. Every contribution, large or small, supports the mission of protecting lives and property.
2. Fundraising Raffles: Maryland Firefighter 50/50 raffle program where winners are drawn weekly. Pot totals have exceeded $40,000.
3. Community Bingo Events: Bingo events hosted as community fundraising activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Independent Hose Company Station #1 is a volunteer fire and rescue organization delivering fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services (EMS) to Frederick County, Maryland. Founded in 1818, it is Maryland's oldest continuously operating volunteer fire company and operates a self-owned apparatus fleet including Engine, Tower, Tanker, Ambulance, Brush, Canteen, and Duty Officer vehicles. The organization supplements its operations through community fundraising events such as BINGO nights and 50/50 raffles.

Product overview

Independent Hose Company Station #1 is a volunteer fire and rescue organization providing comprehensive emergency services to Frederick County, Maryland. Founded in 1818, it is Maryland's oldest continuously operating volunteer fire company. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of core emergency services including fire suppression, rescue operations, and emergency medical services (EMS), supported by a self-owned apparatus fleet (Engine, Tower, Tanker, Ambulance, Brush, Canteen, and Command vehicles). Additional offerings include community event support and fundraising activities such as BINGO nights and 50/50 raffles. The company operates from Station #1 at 310 Baughmans Lane, Frederick, MD, and consistently handles the highest volume of fire and EMS calls in Frederick County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services Firefighting and fire suppression operations conducted by volunteer and career personnel to protect lives and property in Frederick County, Maryland. The organization handled 1,846 fire incidents in 2024.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Comprehensive emergency medical services including ambulance transport and medical response for residents of Frederick County, Maryland. The organization handled 4,694 EMS calls in 2024.
• Rescue Services Technical rescue operations including vehicle extraction, water rescue, and other specialized rescue scenarios for Frederick County residents and businesses, delivered as part of the integrated emergency response portfolio.
• Community Event Support Provides emergency standby services and support for community events in the Frederick area, assisting local organizers with public safety coverage.
• 50/50 Raffle Program Weekly Maryland Firefighter 50/50 raffle program with drawings every Thursday at 8pm, managed through the md.5050raffle.org platform. Pot totals exceed $40,000, providing significant fundraising for the organization.
• BINGO Fundraising Events Community BINGO game nights hosted as fundraising activities to support the organization's fire, rescue, and EMS operations. The next scheduled event is May 9, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handles more fire and EMS calls than any other station in Frederick County annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VenmominorOthersDonation platform used for accepting community contributions to support fire, rescue, and EMS operations.
• PayPalminorOthersDonation platform used for accepting community contributions via PayPal.
• National Weather ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeather alerts service for Frederick County, MD, providing air quality alerts and weather warnings to support operational awareness.
• MD 50/50 RafflecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide 50/50 raffle program specifically for Maryland firefighters. IHC participates in weekly raffles with pot totals exceeding $40,000, providing significant fundraising for the organization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: The American Red Cross is a large-scale nonprofit delivering emergency response, disaster relief, and humanitarian services nationwide. It is comparable to IHC in operating a donation-dependent emergency-response nonprofit model, though at vastly larger scale and with a broader mission scope.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA is the U.S. federal agency coordinating disaster response and emergency preparedness. It is comparable to IHC as a higher-level public-safety response entity operating in the same fire/EMS/emergency-response domain, though at vastly larger federal scale and with disaster-preparedness focus.
• The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army is a faith-based nonprofit providing disaster response, emergency services, and community support across the U.S. Like IHC, it relies on community donations and volunteer engagement to deliver emergency services, though its footprint is national and its mission broader.

Regional players

• Junior Fire Company No. 2: Junior Fire Company No. 2 is a long-standing volunteer fire company operating in the Frederick, Maryland region alongside IHC. It is highly comparable as a fellow volunteer fire company in the same geography, providing similar fire suppression and EMS services under the same county dispatch system.
• United Steam Fire Engine Company No. 3: United Steam Fire Engine Company No. 3 is another historical volunteer fire company serving the Frederick, Maryland area. It is directly comparable to IHC as a peer volunteer fire company in the same county, sharing similar operational scope, funding model, and community-based mission.

Others

• National Volunteer Fire Council: The National Volunteer Fire Council is the leading nonprofit association representing the interests of volunteer firefighters and EMS responders in the U.S. It is comparable to IHC as an institutional advocate and resource network for volunteer fire service, though it operates as an industry association rather than a responding fire company.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs: The IAFC is a professional association supporting fire chiefs and emergency service leaders worldwide. It is comparable to IHC as a fire-service institutional body, providing training, advocacy, and resources relevant to IHC's volunteer/career integrated operations model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independent-hose-company-1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 INDEPENDENT HOSE COMPANY-1