Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department And Resque Squad, Inc.

What Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department And Resque Squad, Inc. does

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc. (BHVFD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer fire department founded in 1923 and designated as Station 14 within the Prince George's County, Maryland Fire/EMS system. The organization delivers fire suppression, emergency medical services (Basic and Advanced Life Support), and technical rescue operations — including vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, and hazardous materials response — to the residents and businesses of Berwyn Heights and surrounding mutual aid areas. The department maintains 24/7 station staffing through a combination of live-in volunteers accommodated in a 20-bunk dormitory and on-shift volunteers, ensuring no home response is required. Service capacity is demonstrated by a 2023 YTD response volume of 3,423 incidents as of July 31 (ambulance 1,667, truck 894, squad 799, paramedic 63).

The underlying operating technology is a fleet of specialized apparatus: a 2009 Seagrave Marauder Tractor Drawn Aerial (Truck 14), a 2019 E-One Cyclone II Heavy Rescue Squad, two ambulances (2015 Ford/Demers 148 and 2020 Ford F550/Wheeled Coach 149), three Chevrolet Tahoe command vehicles (Chief 14, 14A, 14B), and a 2008 Ford F250 utility vehicle. The department supplements direct emergency response with fire and life safety education content, a Shopify-hosted merchandise store, an annual Christmas tree fundraiser, and tax-deductible donation channels (PayPal, AmazonSmile giving under EIN 52-0814846).

The business model is community-funded: BHVFD does not charge for emergency services and is supported by donations, merchandise sales, and seasonal fundraising events. There is no parent company, no institutional ownership, and no disclosed financial statements. The go-to-market and "growth" motion is community-led — recruiting volunteers who meet Firefighter I and EMT-B requirements, leveraging the live-in program as a retention mechanism, and maintaining a reciprocal mutual aid network with at least six surrounding stations across Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Howard counties. Revenue mechanics are small-scale and decentralized, with no evidence of grants, government appropriations, or earned service revenue.

Name

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department And Resque Squad, Inc.

Legal name

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc.

Website

https://bhvfd14.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer fire department serving Berwyn Heights, Maryland as Station 14 within Prince George's County, providing fire suppression, EMS, and technical rescue through 24/7 volunteer staffing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Operations & Dispatch (HLAJAGAC), Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Volunteer fire department
• Emergency medical services
• Technical rescue operations
• Fire suppression services
• Community emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Linthicum Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: The department accepts tax-deductible donations through PayPal and checks. Donation tiers include $25, $50, $100 and other amounts. Donations support operating costs and equipment purchases.
2. Merchandise Sales: The department operates an online store selling branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs, patches, and stickers. Proceeds support operating costs.
3. Christmas Tree Fundraiser: Annual Christmas tree fundraiser sale held in the rear parking lot of the firehouse. Trees are sold by volunteer firefighters and EMTs. Historical prices range from $70-$90 for Fraser Fir trees of various sizes.
4. AmazonSmile Program: The department participates in AmazonSmile program where a portion of purchases are donated to the organization. EIN 52-0814846.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad provides volunteer-staffed 24/7 fire suppression, basic and advanced life support emergency medical services and ambulance transport, and technical rescue operations (vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, elevator rescue). The department operates as Station 14 within the Prince Georges County system and supplements its emergency response services with community fire safety education, a bunkroom live-in volunteer program, an online branded merchandise store, and an annual Christmas tree fundraiser.

Product overview

Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc. is a volunteer emergency services organization providing fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), and technical rescue operations. The department operates a fleet of specialized apparatus including Ladder Truck 14, Rescue Squad 14, and Ambulance units. In addition to core emergency response services, the department offers fire and life safety education resources, a merchandise store through Shopify, a bunkroom live-in program for volunteers, annual Christmas tree fundraiser sales, and accepts community donations. The organization is Station 14 in Prince George's County, Maryland, and serves Berwyn Heights and surrounding communities with approximately 3,423 annual responses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Fire Suppression Services Fire suppression services provided by volunteer firefighters responding to structural fires, wildland fires, and other fire emergencies within Berwyn Heights and surrounding mutual aid areas. Includes response from Ladder Truck 14 (2009 Seagrave Marauder TDA) for high-rise and aerial operations.
• Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Transport Emergency medical response, patient assessment, treatment, and transport to medical facilities provided through Ambulance 148 and Ambulance 149, supporting both Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support for residents and mutual aid partners.
• Technical Rescue Operations Specialized rescue services including vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, elevator rescue, and other technical rescue operations conducted by Rescue Squad 14 for primary jurisdiction and mutual aid partners.
• Fire and Life Safety Education Educational resources and safety information for the community covering smoke alarms, home fire sprinklers, cooking fire safety, holiday fire safety, and fire escape planning across multiple categories on the department's website.
• BHVFD Branded Merchandise Store Online retail store selling department-branded merchandise including shirts, patches, stickers, and headwear to community supporters, with proceeds supporting department operating costs.
• Bunkroom Live-In Volunteer Program A residential volunteer program allowing qualifying members to live at the station rent-free while providing continuous staffing coverage. Includes bunkroom accommodations and proximity to the University of Maryland College Park and Metro transit.
• Annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser Sale Annual in-person Christmas tree sale fundraiser conducted by volunteer firefighters and EMTs at the station back parking lot, selling Fraser Fir trees of various sizes to community members. Proceeds support department operating costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3423 total emergency responses (July 2023 YTD)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Prince Georges County Fire Department System (Stations 1-49)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHVFD operates as Station 14 within the Prince Georges County Fire Department system. Coordinates with all 49 stations for mutual aid responses, shared training resources, and county-wide emergency response protocols. The department provides and receives mutual aid support during major incidents.
• Arundel 7 (Anne Arundel County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• Burtonsville 15 (Montgomery County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• Hillandale 12/24 (Montgomery County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• MD City 27 (Anne Arundel County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• Savage 6 (Howard County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• Takoma Park 2 (Montgomery County)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid company providing reciprocal emergency response support during major incidents requiring cross-county resources.
• Squad 6minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner department that collaborated with Rescue Squad 14 during the high-angle rescue operation at Old Glenn Dale Hospital in April 2025. Joint rescue plan development and execution for technical rescue operations.
• University of Maryland, College ParkminorOthersThe station is located 2 miles from the university campus. The bunkroom live-in program provides convenient housing for students attending the College Park campus and other educational institutions in the DC metropolitan area.
• WMATA Metro SystemminorOthersNearby Metro stations provide convenient public transit access for volunteers and staff. The department is also accessible via major commuter routes including three Capitol Beltway (I-495) exits.
• Maryland Fire Rescue Institute (MFRI)minorOthersTraining resource partner listed on department's Links of Interest page for volunteer firefighter education and professional development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Anne Arundel County Fire Department: Combination career-volunteer fire department serving Anne Arundel County, where two of BHVFD's mutual aid partners (Arundel 7, MD City 27) operate. Comparable institutional framework for volunteer fire companies operating within a broader county system.

Broad incumbents

• Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department: The county-level public fire/EMS agency within which BHVFD operates as Station 14. Provides broader system coordination, dispatch, training oversight, and supplemental career staffing across all 49 stations in the county.
• Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service: Career-and-volunteer combination fire/EMS service covering adjacent Montgomery County. Provides overlapping response territory with BHVFD's mutual aid partners (Takoma Park, Burtonsville, Hillandale) and represents the larger institutional context for Maryland suburban volunteer fire service.

Direct peers

• Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company: Long-established (founded 1899) volunteer fire company in Harford County, Maryland serving a similar small-town suburban community. Operates a comparable multi-discipline volunteer model with active community fundraising and a century-plus institutional legacy.
• College Park Volunteer Fire Department: Neighboring Prince George's County volunteer fire department serving College Park (home of University of Maryland). Closest geographic peer with very similar service mix, volunteer model, and university-adjacent volunteer recruitment dynamics.
• Greenbelt Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad: Adjacent volunteer fire and rescue squad in Prince George's County listed as a BHVFD mutual aid partner. Operates the same volunteer-plus-bunkroom model serving a comparable suburban DC-adjacent community with fire, EMS, and rescue capabilities.
• Riverdale Park Volunteer Fire Department: Prince George's County volunteer fire department serving a similar small-municipality community just outside DC. Operates within the same county fire/EMS system and shares the volunteer-recruitment and mutual-aid framework as BHVFD.
• Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department: Prince George's County volunteer fire department serving a similar inner-suburb DC community. Operates within the same county mutual aid system and provides overlapping fire suppression, EMS, and rescue services.
• Burtonsville Volunteer Fire Department: Listed BHVFD mutual aid partner in Montgomery County (Station 15). Volunteer-combination department providing equivalent fire, EMS, and rescue response in a similar suburban Maryland community.
• Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department: Listed BHVFD mutual aid partner in adjacent Montgomery County. Volunteer-combination department providing fire, EMS, and rescue to a similar suburban DC-adjacent community with comparable call volumes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BHVFD14
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bhvfd14
• Facebookfacebook.com/BHVFD14
• Instagraminstagram.com/berwynheightsvfd14
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berwyn-heights-fire-dept

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department And Resque Squad, Inc.