Lori Smith Zentz

The history of volunteer firefighting in Thurmont is 119 years old. Beginning in 1887 when the town was called Mechanicstown to the present day, Thurmont area residents have proudly heeded the call to volunteer and help others in case of fire and emergency.

Today, while many other fire companies across the county have become funded by the county with paid service personnel, the fire and rescue trucks of Thurmont’s Guardian Hose Company are occupied by volunteers only. The sirens blare and the volunteer firemen and women of Thurmont come running to the rescue of their neighbors. The company currently has 230 members and 80 active volunteers.

The Guardian Hose Company has the second largest response area in all of Frederick County — 46 square miles. So, whether you live downtown, on farmland several miles from town, or in the hills of the Catoctin Mountains, the Guardian Hose Company is your fire department.

Being an all-volunteer fire department means that the department does not receive full funding from the county for fire fighting and rescue services. The county does provide operational funding to the department for fuel and building utilities. A mere 19% of the cost of running the department is funded by the county.

For 119 years, the Thurmont area has financially supported the Guardian Hose Company enough to make it a financially sound organization that carries little debt and mostly pays for major equipment upfront. Sixty-four percent of the annual budget for the Company is acquired through fundraising events such as the Firemen’s Carnival, the 50s and 60s Night, Car Show, Colorfest food sales, drawings and bingo. Donations to the company equal 7% of the annual budget and membership accounts for 10% . The community has generously attended these fundraisers and the result is a dedicated all-volunteer fire company.

Now, the fire company is seeking your help at a higher level. The company is about to break ground on a much-needed $2.2. million fire hall that will bring help the company better serve the public. The timing is right to undertake this project. The company just purchased a new Rescue Squad to replace an outdated one and does not anticipate the need to replace any new major apparatus until 2012. The latest purchase, at a cost of nearly $500,000, has been paid for in full.

The existing fire hall is 56 years and is too small to accommodate all nine company vehicles. Currently the company is using the fire hall, plus two exterior buildings to house all of the company’s equipment. Fire fighting apparatus are stacked behind one another in the current building requiring the juggling of space on depending upon the type of call.

The new fire hall will take the place of all three buildings on the fire hall property and will be slightly wider than the existing fire hall. The modern building is designed to blend well with the surrounding architecture and will the feature four bays — one for each piece of major equipment. The company’s smaller trucks and vehicles will be able to exit the new building via a side bay door. A third bay door will allow access to storage.

The new Guardian Hose Company fire hall will be 14,740 square feet and will feature a main entrance that will house the company’s first fire fighting apparatus, a hand-drawn hose reel. In addition to the four engine bays, the building will include space for a radio room, bunk room, lounge, kitchen, shower/restroom facilities, office space and storage. Ground-breaking for the new hall is expected to begin in June 2006 with occupancy to occur 7 months later.

You can support your all-volunteer fire company by attending Guardian Hose Co. sponsored activities and by contributing to the upcoming Building Fund. "It is our intent that the Guardian Hose Company will not burden taxpayers with the cost of this project. Instead, we will kick-off a major capital fundraising campaign and with your support will be able to pay the for the cost of this building construction in full," said fire company chief Chris Kinnaird. To make a donation or to volunteer to help the fire company, call Chris at 301-271-2273.

Come to the Thurmont Economic Development Council’s Business Expo on March 31 at Catoctin High School to see the Guardian Hose Company’s new rescue squad and rescue equipment and to learn more about the new fire hall construction.