Volunteer Services

In 2025, the volunteer fire service continued to play an essential and irreplaceable role in Anne Arundel County’s emergency response system.  Across the county, 14 combination volunteer–career stations relied on volunteers to enhance daily staffing, one fully volunteer-staffed station (Station 34) delivered 100% of its emergency response through volunteer members, and three additional career-staffed stations (Stations 1, 3, and 32) benefited from dedicated administrative and logistical support from volunteer personnel.

Volunteers contributed meaningfully to medical response, storm and natural disaster operations, incident accountability, and fire/rescue response, ensuring that critical services remained uninterrupted even during peak demand.

Our volunteers, both operational and administrative, consistently go above and beyond, contributing significantly to making AACOFD a leading combination department in the state of Maryland.

We are thrilled to have welcomed over 300 new volunteers across our stations in 2025, an increase by nearly a third from additions in the previous year! This remarkable achievement reflects the strong commitment of our community members and the tireless efforts of our recruitment and retention committees. By showcasing the positive impact of volunteerism, we continue to inspire and attract the next generation of fire and EMS professionals.

Emergency Medical Services

Volunteer fire companies fully staffed 11 ambulances, collectively responding to over 3,000 medical emergencies—a significant share of the county’s EMS workload. At two additional stations, mixed volunteer–career crews handled another 1,000 calls, demonstrating the flexibility and surge capacity volunteers bring to the system.

Storm and High-Demand Incident Support

During severe weather and other periods of unusually high call volume, volunteer companies ramped up countywide capacity by up-staffing brush units and utility vehicles, responding to more than 300 calls for service. This surge capability is a core strength of the volunteer system and reduces operational strain on career units.

Incident Command & Safety Support

Ten volunteer Chief Officers responded to nearly 1,000 incidents, providing essential incident management, accountability, and safety oversight. These officers significantly expand the department’s command-level coverage without additional county expenditure.

Fire & Rescue Response

Volunteer participation in fire/rescue incidents continued to vary by station, with some combination houses seeing volunteer turnout rates exceeding 40%. This operational presence strengthens the county’s response capacity and directly benefits the communities served.

Looking Ahead to 2026

In partnership with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the volunteer companies remain focused on expanding their operational impact. Priorities for the coming year include:

· Deploying additional volunteer-staffed ambulances to enhance EMS availability

· Growing the number of qualified heavy-apparatus operators

· Strengthening coordination across volunteer companies to improve fire/rescue staffing at  all combination stations

The volunteer fire service remains committed to supporting a resilient, efficient, and community-centered countywide emergency response system.