Gamber & Community Fire Company

What Gamber & Community Fire Company does

Gamber & Community Fire Company is a volunteer fire department operating as Carroll County Station 13, headquartered at 3838 Niner Road, Finksburg, Maryland. Founded in 1905, the organization provides fire suppression, Basic Life Support emergency medical services, and dive rescue operations to residents and businesses across the Westminster, Finksburg, and Sykesville communities of Carroll County. Operational assets include Engine 131, Engine 134, a tanker, and Medic 139, with response dispatched through the 911 system and supported by mutual aid agreements with Westminster, Sykesville, Winfield, Reese, Baltimore County, New Windsor, and Pleasant Valley departments. In 2025 the department handled 2,717 incidents (549 fires, 1,156 EMS calls, 11 dive incidents), a meaningful increase from 1,917 incidents in 2020.

The organization is structured as a nonprofit volunteer entity that does not charge for emergency services. Revenue is generated through community fundraising events, including an annual carnival with rides, food vendors, and raffles (with a $8,000 first-place prize), weekly Tuesday BINGO games, Gun BINGO, the Maryland 50/50 Raffle (drawn every Thursday at 8PM), community donations, and an online merchandise store at gamber13.square.site. The department supplements its volunteer base with career staff from CCDFEMS (Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services) and is governed by a Board of Directors.

The department's go-to-community model emphasizes public engagement through events such as Touch A Truck (with the Maryland National Guard, State Police, and Carroll County Sheriff's Office), free community shred events, and the 19-year-old Oscar Brothers Memorial Scholarship program, which awards up to $20,000 over four years to local high school graduates. The organization invests in specialized training, including a June 2026 Electric Vehicle (EV) fire response program, and was recognized in 2025-26 with the CCVESA Hall of Fame induction of Board of Director Chrissy Yingling for 32 years of service.

Name

Gamber & Community Fire Company

Legal name

Gamber & Community Fire Company

Website

https://gambervfd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gamber & Community Fire Company is a volunteer nonprofit fire department (Carroll County Station 13) based in Finksburg, Maryland, providing fire suppression, BLS emergency medical services, and dive rescue to Carroll County residents and businesses, funded through community events and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Fire and Rescue Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Dive rescue operations
• Community fundraising events
• Public safety education

Headquarters

HQ city

Finksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Community Fundraising Events: The volunteer fire department generates revenue through community events including an annual carnival with rides, food vendors, and raffles, as well as BINGO games held on Tuesdays. The carnival raffle generated significant community engagement with prizes including $8,000 for 1st place. These events fund training and equipment for the department.
2. Maryland 50/50 Raffle: The department participates in the Maryland 50/50 Raffle which goes off every Thursday at 8PM, providing an additional revenue stream through ticket sales.
3. Donations and Community Support: The department relies on community donations and support to maintain operations, equipment, and training capabilities. The website notes that community support enables the latest technology and apparatus.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gamber & Community Fire Company is a volunteer fire department (Carroll County Station 13) located in Finksburg, Maryland that delivers fire suppression, Emergency Medical Services at the Basic Life Support level, and dive/water rescue operations to residents and businesses of Carroll County. The organization is funded through community fundraising events such as its annual carnival, weekly BINGO, the Maryland 50/50 raffle, and local donations, and it conducts community safety education and scholarship programs in its response area.

Product overview

Gamber & Community Fire Company is a volunteer fire department serving Carroll County, Maryland (Station 13) that provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), and dive rescue operations. The organization operates the Firehouse Solutions website platform for public information, maintains an online store for merchandise sales, and manages community engagement programs including carnivals, BINGO events, and scholarship programs. Their primary operational assets include fire engines (Engine 131, Engine 134), a tanker, medic units (Medic 139), and specialized apparatus for various emergency response scenarios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services
• Emergency Medical Services (BLS)
• Dive / Water Rescue Operations
• Annual Gamber Carnival
• Weekly BINGO Fundraisers
• Maryland 50/50 Raffle Tickets
• Online Merchandise Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Responded to 2,717 incidents in 2025 (549 fires, 1156 EMS, 11 dive)

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

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, moderate and core.

• Pioneer Pole BuildingsminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor for the 2026 Gamber Carnival. The department acknowledges sponsors whose generosity supports local community events and enables fundraising for fire company operations, training, and equipment.
• Passarello Family DentalminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor for the 2026 Gamber Carnival. Listed as a sponsor with contact information provided for community support.
• Lawn DoctorminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor for the 2026 Gamber Carnival. Local lawn care service supporting community events.
• Eagle Transfer ServicesmoderateOthers · 1 June 2026Regular carnival sponsor and Touch A Truck event participant. Provided trucks and equipment for community education events.
• Freedom Septic ServicesminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor supporting local fire company fundraising efforts.
• Haight Funeral Home and ChapelminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor supporting community event fundraising.
• Winfield Fire CompanymoderateOthers · 1 June 2026Mutual aid partner and carnival sponsor. Fire department providing assistance during large incidents and supporting community events.
• Sykesville-Freedom District Fire CompanymoderateOthers · 1 June 2026Mutual aid partner and carnival sponsor. Coordinates response with Gamber on incidents in shared coverage areas.
• Rosedale AmusementsminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor providing amusement rides for the annual Gamber Carnival event.
• GSW ElectricminorOthers · 1 June 2026Carnival sponsor supporting local fire company events.
• CCDFEMS (Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services)coreOthers · 18 May 2026Career staff from CCDFEMS work alongside Gamber volunteers. CCDFEMS staff participated in EV training at the station. Mutual operational coordination for all major incidents.
• Baltimore County Fire DepartmentmoderateOthers · 18 May 2026Responded to Battery Warehouse fire as part of mutual aid. Rehab 156 supplied canteen during the two-alarm fire. Ongoing mutual aid relationship for major incidents.
• Maryland National GuardminorOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck event participant providing military trucks and equipment for community education event.
• Maryland State PolicemoderateOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck event participant and public safety partner. Participated in community education event with equipment display.
• Carroll County Sheriff's OfficemoderateOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck event participant. Law enforcement partner in community safety events and operations.
• Carroll County Animal ControlminorOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck event participant bringing animal control vehicles for community education event.
• BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric)moderateOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck participant and operational partner. Requested during fire incidents for utility support. Participated in community events with equipment display.
• Mission BBQminorOthers · 7 April 2026Touch A Truck event participant and food vendor supporting community events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association (CCVESA): Industry association representing Carroll County volunteer emergency services, including Gamber. Provides shared training, advocacy, and recognition (e.g., Hall of Fame) that materially supports Gamber's operating context.
• Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office: State-level fire investigation and code enforcement agency that responds alongside Gamber on working fires (e.g., lightning strike incident). Adjacent public safety peer operating in the same regulatory environment.

Direct peers

• Pleasant Valley Fire Company: Carroll County volunteer fire company listed as a mutual aid partner. Operates a similar suburban/rural volunteer model with overlapping incident profile.
• Reese Volunteer Fire Company: Adjoining Carroll County volunteer fire company that responds with Gamber on working fires and other major incidents. Closely comparable in service mix and community-based funding model.
• New Windsor Fire Company: Volunteer fire company in Carroll County participating in Gamber's mutual aid network. Similar geographic footprint, volunteer staffing, and fundraising-based operating model.
• Westminster Volunteer Fire Department: Carroll County volunteer fire company that is one of Gamber's primary mutual aid partners and shares the same volunteer nonprofit model, service area overlap, and reliance on community fundraising. Highly comparable operating structure and call profile.
• Sykesville-Freedom District Fire Company: Neighboring volunteer fire company in Carroll County that responds jointly with Gamber on incidents in shared coverage areas. Operates the same small-town volunteer model with overlapping mutual aid relationships.
• Winfield Fire Company: Volunteer fire department in Carroll County providing mutual aid and co-sponsoring Gamber's carnival. Comparable in scale, structure, and operating model to Gamber.

Broad incumbents

• Baltimore County Fire Department: Large county fire service that provides mutual aid to Gamber (e.g., Rehab 156 at the battery warehouse fire). A much larger regional incumbent operating in the same regional emergency response ecosystem.
• Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (CCDFEMS): Career-staffed county fire and EMS service that places career staff alongside Gamber volunteers and coordinates major incident response. Functions as the broader public-sector incumbent in the same service territory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GamberFire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Gamber & Community Fire Company