LA PLATA, Md. — A new truck got the green light. A lightning strike knocked out a station’s systems for half a day. And at least one apparatus order won’t be finished until 2028. Charles County’s volunteer fire departments brought a wide range of updates to the Board of Fire and Rescue Commissioners’ September meeting — a snapshot of a system juggling both routine wins and mounting supply-chain pain.
A new pickup for the 10th District
The board formally approved 10th District Volunteer Fire Department‘s (Company 8) request to replace Vehicle 8, a 2009 Ford F-150 with more than 147,000 miles that supports command officers during incident management. The replacement, a 2027 Ford F-150 crew cab purchased through Maryland’s state vehicle contract, comes to $82,217.34 once paint, lettering, and emergency lighting are added — paid entirely from the department’s on-hand EMS and non-tax funds, with no new debt. “No pretty straightforward, Mr. Chairman,” said Danny Hudson, the department’s fire chief, when asked if he had anything to add. The board approved the purchase unanimously. The old Vehicle 8 will be reassigned as a utility truck, and the department’s current utility vehicle, a 2001 Ford F-250, will be sold, with proceeds returned to the fund that originally paid for it.
Supply chain delays keep stretching
Not every department is moving that fast. Bryans Road Volunteer Fire Department’s replacement of Truck 11 has slipped further behind: cab fabrication by manufacturer Patriot Fire is now slated to begin in May 2028, with completion expected that August. Vice Chairman Bill Deere said the delay isn’t unique to one vendor. “We’re finding that we order equipment now, it takes two, two and a half years to get it in,” he said. “It is the supply and demand. And no matter which vendor you use, it’s the same story.”
Westlake Volunteer Fire Department (Company 12) reported similar timelines on two fronts. Its replacement of Engine 121 has moved from a study committee to a formal letter of intent, with a purchase request expected within a month — though the department stressed the letter “does not constitute a request for the authorization to purchase.” A second Westlake apparatus replacement remains on track, with chassis delivery expected this month and full completion by the second quarter of 2027. Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department (Company 3), meanwhile, reported its Engine 32 is entering final inspection in early September before heading to a Baltimore-area shop for roughly four weeks of tool mounting, followed by driver training — putting it in service by mid-November, according to department president James King.
Lightning knocks out a station
Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department (Company 2) reported some of the meeting’s more serious news: a suspected lightning strike knocked out the station’s IT systems for a full 12 hours on July 28. The department said it is still finding affected equipment as it works through repairs, which include an estimated $20,720 replacement fire pump controller, a phone system reduced to a single working line, a damaged exterior sign, possible well-pump damage, and multiple damaged GFCI outlets throughout the building. The department said it’s working with its insurance company and will report back to the board once coverage is determined. “Just like if you got a lightning strike at home, you never know what’s going to happen,” Chairman Lynn Gilroy said.
Two projects at Dive Rescue, one closed out at Potomac Heights
Charles County Dive Rescue Co. 13 has two separate projects underway: a multi-stage plan to pour a 15-by-25-foot concrete pad and expand its equipment shed with a prefab metal building and climate control over the next six to twelve months, and a newly formed committee investigating roof repairs to Station 13 after storm and sun damage, with insurance coverage still being sorted out.
Potomac Heights Volunteer Fire and Rescue, by contrast, closed the book on its roof and hose tower project. After multiple contractors determined the roof itself didn’t actually need replacing — only maintenance, which is now scheduled for late September — the department instead focused its emergency repair funds on the hose tower, spending $23,949.49 total, about 5% over its approved budget. The contractor has been paid in full. “Well, one project off your plate,” Gilroy told department president Molly Valentine.
Bryans Road also closed out a different kind of project: its solar panel installation is complete, with its SMECO grid interconnection and county inspections pending ahead of a target activation date that had already passed by the time of the meeting. Westlake’s Station 12 remodel, meanwhile, is nearly finished — the locker room, public restroom, and control room are complete and in service, the women’s restroom is roughly 90% done, and the day room is waiting on enough contractor staff to complete it in one continuous push, minimizing how long the space stays out of use.
Cadets, capital projects, and a compliance deadline
The board’s volunteer coordinator report highlighted the county’s cadet program, now at 22 students — 12 entering EMT training on September 23 and the rest beginning CPR and Firefighter I coursework the same week. Cadets are also staffing recruitment booths at the county fair this month and will join Charles County Public Works on October 7 for the county’s annual truck rodeo, providing extra hands for an event drawing heavy public interest.
Chairman Gilroy also reminded department leadership that Maryland law requires annual financial reports by October 15, and that several departments remain behind on filing; he said he’d contact them individually in the coming days. On a more positive note, the board confirmed capital project reports for Cobb Island Volunteer Fire Department‘s (Company 6) replacement ambulance and fire rescue boat, Waldorf’s roof replacement, and two Westlake utility vehicle replacements are all up to date ahead of next month’s deadline.
