Our History

After a fire on May 5, 1915 destroyed a Silver Spring building housing the Post Office, a public meeting was convened to discuss fire protection for the Silver Spring community. To address community concerns, the Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Company was formed. The Company was staffed by volunteers from the community and a shed was donated to serve as the Company’s temporary headquarters. 

At the time, there was no public water supply so the Company depended on chemical tanks and water from wells and cisterns in the community. As is done today, the Department relied on the generosity of the community to support the purchase of equipment. As a result of this generosity, the Department was able, within months of its creation, to place in service a hand-drawn 60 gallon chemical engine and a large bell to summon volunteers in the event of a fire.

In 1918, the first motor driven fire truck in Montgomery County was acquired by the Department and placed in service in Silver Spring. The fire engine carried two, 20 gallon chemical tanks and other essential fire equipment. The fire truck remained in service for ten years. Also, in 1918, the Silver Spring Volunteer acquired Fire Department, Inc. and purchased the Silver Spring National Guard Armory for use as its fire station. The fire station located at Georgia and Silver Spring Avenues is currently known as Fire Station 1.

In 1920, water mains and fire hydrants were installed throughout the community enabling the Department to purchase a 350 gallons-per-minute (gpm) pump engine with a hose body and ladders.

As Silver Spring grew, so too, did the life safety challenges that typically accompanied community growth. The Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department continued to meet those challenges. Traditional fund raising efforts – carnivals and bake sales, however, were inadequate. In 1927, legislation was enacted authorizing the County Commissioners to make an annual payment of up to $1,500 from taxes to each County fire department. A special fire tax district was established on behalf of the Silver Spring community.

The Department has continued to expand positioning stations throughout the community for faster response capability and better service. In 1947, a second fire station was built in the Four Corners area (Colesville Rd. and University Blvd.) replaced in 1968 with a more modern station. A third station was built in 1959 in the Montgomery Hills section of Silver Spring (Seminary Rd. near Georgia Ave.). In 2007, new Fire Station 1 was opened replacing the original station. This facility is a multi-purpose building housing other government agencies such as the police and urban district offices. This long awaited facility is enhancing the Department’s ability to provide fire/rescue and emergency medical services to the citizens of Silver Spring.