Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company

Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company. . , For nearly 60 years, the Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company (DCV) has been serving the residents, businesses, and visitors of Garrett County. In 1965, a few local citizens placed a sign-up sheet in Walt's General Store, located across from the current fire station on Deep Creek Drive, to solicit interest in beginning a Volunteer Fire Company. Once sufficient interest was realized, the first members of the company held their earliest meetings on the second floor of the Wisp Ski Resort. In 1966, the company leased the land on which the current station sits from Charles (Skeeter) Bowman, and the orignal brick building was constructed with funds from the US Department of Labor., The first "turn-out" or "Bunker Gear" worn by original members was received from the Maryland State Surplus store in Jessup, MD. It was actually nothing more than rain gear. Their first fire truck was a used 1956 Ford, 500-gallon pumper purchased from a fire cormpany in West Virginia. In the early days, prior to the "911" system, calls for help were made to a dedicated phone line located in the Point View Motel, which has since been torn down but stood near where the Aquatic Center is currently located. The operator at the motel would call four firefighters, and typically, the wives of those four would each call the homes of four additional firefighters., A far cry from the early days, DCVFC has grown along with the community, adding our newest building in 2014 and dramatically expanding our fleet of emergency apparatus. The company now operates: a front-line Engine, a Ladder Truck (95' tower), an Engine Tanker, a dedicated Tanker, a Brush Truck, Utility Truck, a Water Rescue Trailer, a shallow water rescue boat, and a Fire Boat. As our motto states, we are equipped and trained to respond to all manner of emergencies, including, but not limited to: fires, motor vehicle accidents, swift water, ice, and flood rescues, back country rescues, and searches for missing persons. All of our equipment is maintained in compliance with state and national standards., As nice as that equipment is, it would be useless without our personnel. Our members are our most important and valued asset. We are a 100% volunteer company made up of men and women from a wide range of backgrounds, careers, and life experiences. Our members have received thousands of hours of training from the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute and other professional training institutions. Our current active roster includes: 27 firefighters, 7 firefighter/EMT's, and 6 firefighter paramedics. Included in these numbers are 12 Swiftwater Rescue Technicians and 5 Ice Rescue Technicians. This diverse training and experience portfolio aligns with our vision to be prepared in all things. On average, DCVFC responds to more than 320 emergencies per year, not including various public service requests. Trusting in God (In Deo Confidimus), our members are ready for all things (In Omnia Paratus) and dedicate more than 2,000 volunteer hours annually in the service of the Deep Creek Lake community., To learn more about DCVFC and opportunities to serve or support our mission, please visit: dcvfc30.org.