Over the years, there have been many significant events that have shaped us
into the organization we are todAY. Here are some of those events:
On January 29, 1890, citizens met in the Ashland Masonic Hall to form Hanover County’s first fire company. The Ashland Volunteer Fire Company remained the only fire protection for Hanover County until 1945.
The Early Years (1890-1924)
On August 30, 1890, a letter was sent to the Hanover County Clerk to form a volunteer fire company, with twenty-seven men signing on. This letter was entered into the deed book and the company was approved on January 27, 1890. The original constitution capped membership at 50 and allowed the president to fine members a sum not exceeding $1.00 for a violation of company bylaws. In May of 1897, the company installed a gas-powered lamp in front of the firehouse to provide light for members turning out for calls. In 1900, the company began keeping record of each emergency call, a practice that still exists today. The firefighters pulled their firefighting apparatus by hand until 1918, when the company began using horses to pull the apparatus.
The Hose Cart (1910)
The Ashland Volunteer Fire Company purchased a hose reel from the Howe Engineering Company for $322 on January 8, 1910. It remained in service until the early 1920s and was utilized to transport firehose to fire scenes while being hand pulled by members of the company. It was pulled in parades and displayed at civic functions until 1967 when it was placed in a town lot and forgotten. In 1974 the company determined that the cart should be restored. After years of searching for an individual to restore the hose cart, Karl Gayer of Williamsburg fully restored the cart in 1977. Ashland displays this cart at community events and at the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Memorial Service each year.
A New Era (1924-2000)
In 1924, the company and the Town of Ashland purchased the first motorized fire apparatus in Hanover County. This engine was manufactured by the Buffalo Fire Apparatus Corporation. In 1925, the fire company responded to a total of 16 calls, with the majority being chimney fires. Over the years, the company has seen an increase in calls, with an entry in 1963 showing a total of 179 calls for service. In 1938, a second piece of motorized apparatus was purchased, a Chevrolet Booster to assist the 1924 fire engine. These remained the only motorized apparatus operated in Hanover County until the Town of Ashland and Hanover County began purchasing fire equipment in the late 1940s. The fire company operated from various sheds and shacks until a structure was attached to Ashland Town Hall. In 1967, a new firehouse was dedicated on Duncan Street that would serve for many years to come. One of the most memorable fires of this era occurred in 1980, when the Ashland Rolling Mills along the South Anna River caught fire. Eleven departments, which meant all departments that existed in 1980, responded to the blaze. In 1981, a brand-new American LaFrance 100’ ladder truck was placed into service in Ashland, the first new ladder truck in Hanover County. The company was also instrumental in the response to a 1982 hazardous materials incident, where workers at a business in the Hanover Airpark were exposed to the deadly chemical pentaborane. After multiple rescue squad providers fell ill, Ashland Fire Company units spent six days on the scene while local and state responders worked to mitigate the hazard. The company in the late 1990s took on a new role providing emergency medical services after the combination of the Hanover County Fire Department and Hanover County Emergency Medical Services, with many members serving on both the Ashland Volunteer Fire Company and Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad with dual credentials as EMTs and firefighters.
Today (2000-Present)
As the Ashland community grew, so too did the number of emergency calls. The organization continued to operate as an all-volunteer entity providing first class fire and rescue services to the greater Ashland community. Through the mid-2000s, the company operated two engine companies, Engine 1 and 1-2, a ladder truck, heavy rescue (previously named squad), and multiple brush units. It was during this time that the company stopped responding from home after a change in Hanover County policy and instead provided volunteer duty crews. Duty crews, comprised of volunteers, spent shifts in the firehouse like their paid counterparts to protect the community.
In 2016, at the request of the company, a career Hanover County Fire-EMS officer was placed in the station to assist with responses during the day. In 2019 this was extended to include an officer for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Today, three career firefighters staff Engine 401 24/7 with AVFC assisting. This ushered in a new era of cooperation between volunteers and career staff, who now train, maintain equipment, eat, and work together daily. In 2021, Hanover County removed the rescue company from Station 1 and moved it to Station 4 in Doswell, leading to the station’s current apparatus fleet: an engine, ladder truck, reserve ambulance, and FR. The Ashland Volunteer Fire Company still exists as its own legally incorporated entity within the Hanover Fire-EMS system, providing volunteer firefighters that serve in Ashland and throughout Hanover County. Many firefighters in the Richmond region and beyond owe their early experience to the Ashland Volunteer Fire Company.