Westminster Volunteer Fire Department

What Westminster Volunteer Fire Department does

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department (legal entity: Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. #1) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer fire company founded in 1823 in Westminster, Maryland, operating continuously for over 200 years and recognized as one of Maryland's oldest volunteer fire departments. It provides 24/7 fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and fire prevention education to Westminster and greater Carroll County. The department responds to approximately 7,100 combined fire and EMS calls annually (7,102 in 2024; 7,101 in 2025), operating from its headquarters at 28 John Street, Westminster, MD 21157, with a combined force of career staff, active volunteers, life members, and a junior program for ages 12-16. Apparatus includes engines, tower trucks, rescue vehicles, a Deck Gun specialty nozzle capable of 1,000 GPM, Ventus Pro 5 and Tango CO gas monitors, and recently adopted multi-purpose nozzle technology for electric vehicle fires.

The business model is donation- and event-driven rather than fee-based: emergency services are provided free to the public, while revenue is generated through weekly Friday night Bingo sessions, the weekly Maryland Firefighter 50/50 raffle (Thursday 8 PM ET drawings), the annual Big Money Raffle with a $10,000 top prize and 14 winning tiers, a 3 of Diamonds weekly card drawing, ballroom hall rentals at the John Street Quarters, merchandise and donations via an Ecwid-powered online store, and corporate sponsorships (Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Weis Markets, Battery Warehouse). The department maintains a Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department preserving antique apparatus including a 1924 American LaFrance City Service Truck and a 1933 American LaFrance 300 Series engine, plus a recently returned 1883 Wirt and Knox hand-pulled hose reel.

Go-to-market is community-led: volunteer recruitment runs through open houses, the Maryland State Fireman's Association, community events, school visits, and word-of-mouth, reinforced by Maryland state income tax credits up to $4,500+ after three years of qualified service and a monthly retirement stipend after 25 years. Distribution is direct-to-scene emergency response plus a mutual aid network of 30+ surrounding Carroll County departments (Manchester, Reese, Lineboro, Pleasant Valley, Sykesville, Winfield, New Windsor, Union Bridge, Hampstead), coordinated with the Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS. Recent recognition includes 2025 MSFA Convention Parade awards (Best Appearing Elevated Platform, Chief, Antique), the 2024 Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Public Safety Award, and the 2026 CCVESA Hall of Fame induction of Delbert Myerly for 65 years of volunteer service.

Name

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department

Legal name

Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. #1

Website

https://westminstervfd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1823

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department is a 501(c)(3) volunteer fire company founded in 1823 that provides 24/7 fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, and fire prevention education to Carroll County, Maryland, funded by community donations, weekly Bingo, raffles, and hall rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Volunteer fire department
• Fire prevention education
• Technical rescue services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westminster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fundraising Events: Weekly Bingo nights, Maryland Firefighter 50/50 weekly drawings, annual Big Money Raffle with cash prizes up to $10,000, crab feeds, and other community fundraising events
2. Donations and Contributions: Financial contributions from community members, corporate sponsors, and local businesses supporting emergency services
3. Hall Rental: Ballroom rentals at the fire station facility (John Street quarters)
4. Merchandise and Online Store: Sale of merchandise through online storefront including donations, merchandise purchases, and support for company fundraising events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department provides 24/7 fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and fire prevention education to the Westminster community and surrounding Carroll County, Maryland. It also operates a Junior Fire Department youth program, The Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department, hall rentals at the John Street Quarters, and an online merchandise store and recurring fundraising events (Bingo, 50/50, Big Money Raffle, 3 of Diamonds) to support operations.

Product overview

Westminster Volunteer Fire Department operates as a volunteer emergency services organization providing fire suppression, EMS, and fire prevention to Carroll County, Maryland. The department's product portfolio includes core public safety services (fire response, EMS, fire prevention), a Junior Fire Department youth program, and various fundraising products (50/50 raffle, Bingo, Big Money Raffle, 3 of Diamonds). The department also maintains a historical museum showcasing antique fire apparatus and operates an online store powered by Ecwid for donations and merchandise sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maryland Firefighter 50/50: Weekly 50/50 raffle fundraiser where one winner receives half the pot, with all proceeds supporting local firefighters.
• Big Money Raffle
• The Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department

Products and services

• Emergency Fire Services Fire suppression, rescue operations, and emergency response services provided 24/7 to the Westminster community and surrounding Carroll County, Maryland areas.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Emergency medical care and transport services integrated with fire suppression operations, responding to over 5,700 EMS calls annually.
• Fire Prevention Programs Community fire safety education, smoke alarm initiatives, fire prevention week activities, school visits, Home Depot kid workshops, and Stop the Bleed training.
• Junior Fire Department Youth program for ages 12-16 providing fire and EMS training with monthly meetings and hands-on activities.
• Hall Rental (John Street Quarters) Ballroom rental at the fire station facility at 28 John Street, Westminster, MD for community events, weddings, and similar gatherings.
• The Historical Museum of the Westminster Fire Department Museum preserving artifacts and history of the Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co #1, featuring antique fire apparatus including a 1924 American LaFrance City Service Truck and a 1933 American LaFrance 300 Series fire engine, and promoting fire safety education.
• Online Store (Ecwid) E-commerce platform for donations, merchandise sales, event tickets, fundraiser support, and 3 of Diamonds lottery ticket purchases.
• Weekly Friday Night Bingo Weekly bingo fundraising event held at the fire station on Friday nights.
• Maryland Firefighter 50/50 Weekly lottery raffle with drawings every Thursday at 8:00 PM Eastern Time where one winner receives half the pot, with all proceeds supporting local firefighters.
• Big Money Raffle Annual raffle event featuring 14 cash prize opportunities with a top prize of $10,000; tickets sold at $10 each.
• 3 of Diamonds Drawing Weekly card-based lottery drawing held during Bingo intermission with online ticket purchasing available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to over 7,000 combined fire and EMS calls annually (2024: 7,102 calls; 2025: 7,101 calls)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Home Depot (Westminster)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2026Home Depot hosted a kid's workshop event and fire safety education. Home Depot has been a big supporter of local fire departments, including supporting live house burn training.
• Manchester Volunteer Fire DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Manchester VFD allowed Westminster to demo new multi-purpose nozzle technology for combating electric vehicle fires. Joint training and equipment sharing relationship.
• Tractor Supply Company (TSC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 December 2025TSC generously provided a smoker to the Westminster Fire Department at 50% off. Partnership demonstrates local business support for community fire department.
• Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS (CC DFEMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level fire and EMS department that coordinates with Westminster VFD on training, operations, and the new Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS.
• Weis MarketsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated water and Gatorade for firefighters during summer months when personnel go through large quantities staying hydrated during extended calls.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pleasant Valley Fire Company: Named in Westminster VFD's mutual aid network. Volunteer fire company in the Carroll County area providing fire suppression and emergency response with a comparable operational footprint.
• Union Bridge Fire Company: Mutual aid partner within Westminster VFD's regional network. Volunteer fire company delivering fire and EMS response in a small Maryland community with similar operational scale and volunteer-staffing profile.
• Reese Volunteer Fire Company: Mutual aid partner to Westminster VFD in the Carroll County region. Operates as a volunteer fire company delivering comparable fire and EMS services to a similar suburban/rural Maryland community.
• Sykesville Fire Department: Carroll County mutual aid partner of Westminster VFD. Comparable volunteer fire service delivering fire and EMS response to a similarly sized Maryland community with overlapping apparatus and training requirements.
• New Windsor Fire Company: Mutual aid partner within Westminster VFD's regional network. Volunteer fire company providing equivalent fire suppression and EMS services to a Carroll County community of similar scale.
• Lineboro Volunteer Fire Company: Mutual aid partner of Westminster VFD in the Carroll County area. Comparable volunteer fire company with analogous fundraising-driven revenue model and community-based service orientation.
• Manchester Volunteer Fire Department: Neighboring Carroll County volunteer fire department named in Westminster's mutual aid network and joint training partnership (e.g., EV fire nozzle demo). Operates a similar volunteer-plus-career model providing fire and EMS response in the same regional market.
• Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company: Listed among Westminster VFD's mutual aid partners in Carroll County. Comparable volunteer fire company providing fire suppression and EMS in an adjacent Maryland community with similar fundraising and volunteer-recruitment dynamics.
• Winfield Volunteer Fire Company: Mutual aid partner of Westminster VFD in Carroll County. Operates a similar volunteer-plus-career fire and EMS model serving a comparable Maryland catchment area.

Broad incumbents

• Carroll County Department of Fire and EMS: County-level public fire and EMS authority coordinating with Westminster VFD on training, dispatch, and operations. Acts as the broader incumbent governing the fire protection environment in which Westminster operates and which Westminster volunteers complement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WestminsterFireDepartmentSta3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westminster-volunteer-fire-dep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Westminster Volunteer Fire Department