Roster Updates

Just uploaded to the Storefront. New updated rosters for Baltimore-Annapolis, DC-MD Metro, Lower Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland. Coming soon NoVa Metro plus something new Middle Maryland.

Water Rescue 1

A new unit designation Water Rescue 1 can be heard on OCFD radio. Here's what it is -shot at the recent Harbor Fest event. It's a 2005 +/- model year Chevy "Suburban" equipped with a slide out rear tray with SCUBA packs. The shop number is 789. A crew member believed it came from the FM office. It carries a line gun, various water rescue suits and related rescue devices. It is intended as a rapid access response vehicle better able to access the beach than say Rescue 7. It currently runs from Headquarters. OCFD has about a dozen certified divers and about twice as many rescue swimmers. Of course when the Beach Patrol is off duty (5:30pm-9:00 am summer and always in the off-season) surf rescue duty goes to the fire department. In other news the new fireboat is coming along and expected by spring 2012. As reported old Engine 12 the Spartan Alexis removed from service last spring has gone to the Glover FD in New Hampshire. To the south, Stockton is expecting very soon a new Peterbilt, Pierce elliptical tanker.

Old Montgomery & PG County Pics

Burtonsville VFD Station in 1955. Photo by Martin Best.

Some great 1950s and 60s pics of Montgomery & P.G. County have been posted on Rusty's Rosters Facebook page. 

These include stations and incidents of a by-gone era. Please go and "Like" the page. The link is facebook.com/pages/Rustys-Rosters/119074768163990. 

Plans are to add more of these over time so check back here and on the Facebook page. Feel free to comment and or add info on what you see.

Wisconsin 1000

Here's a link to a circa 1950 video about the B-CC Rescue Squad. http://youtu.be/D882Y5UEOR4 Some great old footage (I haven't seen this vid in some 30 years). Note the station that was at 4800 Fairmont Ave off Wisconsin Ave now the site of an office building. This was originally the home of the short lived and by then defunct VFD of Bethesda that was an off-shoot of the original Bethesda FD. Note as well the "old" Suburban Hospital (where I was actually born) as it looked in the day.  Also of mention is the Super Surplus store as I believe was owned by Donald Dunnington. I have spent many an hour in there. Shown as well is the GMC squad truck as described in a previous post about B-CC rescue wagons. Would love to know the body builder on that. Many thanks to Mike Sanders for forwarding this gem. The link again is http://youtu.be/D882Y5UEOR4.

Cherrydale Station 3

From arlingtonva.us

By Rusty

On July 18, 2011, Arlington County FD's Cherrydale Station 3 moved to its new home. About a block west it is now at 4100 Old Dominion Drive at Lee Highway.  In addition to Engine 103, Battalion Chief 112 has also moved in vacating Clarendon Station 4. The previous firehouse at 3900 Lee Highway was built in 1919 and is on the National Historic Register. It was the oldest and last volunteer company built firehouse in Arlington County. 

The original Cherrydale FD was the first fire company in then Alexandria County organized in 1898. (Falls Church formed then too but was considered in Fairfax County). Cherrydale at the time is not much more than a small farming village and crossroads along a popular road and rail line. The company with little in the way of apparatus operated from members homes adding a hand pulled hose and bucket wagon in 1904. In 1906, the company moved to its first fire station. In 1913, they add their first motorized a chemical engine -the first in the county as well. By 1914, the Cherrydale FD has expanded to 4 stations about the community operating 3 hose carts, a motorized chemical engine and a hook and ladder wagon.This is the best equipped department in Northern Virginia beyond Alexandria. By 1918, the CFD is fully motorized believed with three Ford "Model T" chemical engines. Late the following year, the company consolidates operations moving to its recently vacated then "central station" at 3900 Lee Highway as addressed today.  

In 1920, the company re-organizes taking the name Cherrydale VFD. It is designated Company 3 in late 1935 with the first paid personnel assigned in 1940 the beginnings of the Arlington County FD. The Cherrydale VFD was well known back in the day often at most big fires throughout Northern Virginia. The fleet did not grow much past a two-piece engine company although the CVFD did run an ambulance back in the 1960s. One unique apparatus addition was a 1988 Ford "CF-700" Hackney known as Light Unit 73 later 103. While owned by the CVFD this was kept at Halls Hill Station 8 as Station 3 was of limited space. It was last reported at Falls Church Station 6 no longer in service.  

The NoVa Station Apparatus Roster has been updated accordingly as has the Arlington County History that now includes photos. Visit the storefront to grab yours. For more info on Station 3 and the Cherrydale VFD visit acfd3.com and check out the "apparatus" and "gallery" for great old photos. See also the "history" section at cherrydalevfd.org. You can also follow Arlington County fire service  goings on and history stories at arlingtonfirejournal.blogspot.com.