Benedict Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad & Auxiliary Inc

Our Story

The Benedict Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad (BVFDRS) began not with modern trucks or high-tech equipment, but with a group of determined neighbors, a lot of heart, and—believe it or not—a borrowed battery from the local ferry.

In the late 1940s, after a fire struck the Benedict community, several residents decided they’d had enough of standing by helplessly. They pooled their resources and purchased their first fire engine: a 1929 open-cab International that had more personality than gear. It carried just enough hose to call itself a fire truck, and running it required a little creativity. When an emergency call came in, someone dashed to the ferry and borrowed its battery to power the old engine. If the ferry crew ever wondered why their boat wouldn’t start, well... we might know something about that.

The truck was kept in a small shed behind the hotel across from the ferry slip—humble beginnings, but the foundation of something great.

In 1950, the Benedict Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad was officially organized and incorporated. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Joseph Higdon, who donated a piece of land for the first real station, the department gained a permanent home. Soon, a second engine—a 1934 International—joined the fleet, and between 1952 and 1956 several vintage rigs served the community as the department continued to grow.

From those early days of ingenuity and borrowed batteries, BVFDRS has expanded into a modern emergency services organization. Our location along the Patuxent River places us in a unique position to proudly serve not only the Town of Benedict, but also Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s counties with Fire, Rescue, EMS, and Marine services.

Our equipment may have changed, but our heart hasn’t. We still carry the same spirit of community, determination, and neighbor-helping-neighbor that sparked our beginning—minus the ferry battery, of course.

Mission

The mission of the Benedict Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad is to protect life, property, and the environment through skilled, responsive, and compassionate emergency services. We are committed to serving the residents of Benedict and our surrounding counties with integrity, teamwork, and unwavering dedication.

Grounded in our proud history and strengthened by community support, we provide Fire, Rescue, EMS, and Marine services with excellence, preparedness, and a steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of all.

Benedict Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad & Auxiliary Inc is a Department participating in the Maryland Firefighter 50/50—Draw 33 a 50/50 Raffle event, presented by Maryland Firefighter.

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