A 430 page comprehensive history
book on the 75 year history of the Funkstown Volunteer Fire
company is now on sale. The book includes a lot of
information on the people and events of our community.
The cost of the book is $22.00 if purchased at the fire
station or send a check or money order to:
75th History Book
PO Box 670
Funkstown, MD 21734
Be sure to include your name,
phone number, and shipping address with your mail order.
Following a
major fire which destroyed the Antietam Flour mill, a leading
group of Funkstown citizens met on May 20, 1930 for the
purpose of establishing a volunteer fire company to protect
the community. The first fire chief was John Talbert. The
Department started with a hose reel stored in a rented shed
and responded on four fire calls the first year. In 1931, the
Department purchased a used White motorized chemical truck and
hose wagon from the Junior Fire Company of Frederick,
Maryland. In 1935, the membership approved the purchase of a
Ford chassis from the Hebb Motor Company of Funkstown,
purchased a 350 GPM Darley Champion pump and constructed the
department’s first pumper using the seats and much of the
equipment from the White truck.
The Funkstown
Volunteer Fire Company then reached an agreement to rent a
part of the lower level of the Junior Order U.A.M. hall at 30
West Baltimore Street in Funkstown to serve as the first real
home of the company. In 1937, John K. Williams was elected
fire chief, a position that he would hold for the next
twenty-seven years. The years during World War II were
difficult for the company as many of the active young members
were called to serve in the military and older members were
pressed into service.
In 1950, the
company purchased a lot at the intersection of Baltimore
Street and West Side Avenue and constructed the original
two-story section of the present fire station, with the
apparatus area and meeting rooms on the upper level and a
social hall and kitchen downstairs. In 1954, a Ford F750
chassis was purchased from Sharrett Motors of Hagerstown and a
contract was signed with the Glenn D. Culbert Company for the
construction of an American Marsh pumper with a 500 GPM front
mounted Barton American Pump. In 1955, the Funkstown
Volunteer Fire Company burned the building mortgage and paid
off the balance on the new pumper loan. In five short years,
the department had built a fire station, purchased a quality
fire engine and become debt free.
The company
placed one of the first water shuttle tankers in service in
Washington County in 1965. A 1967 Maxim 750 pumper was
purchased and two upstairs bays and two downstairs bays were
added to the fire station in 1967, under the direction of Fire
Chief Henry Manspeaker. Herb A. Smith and Jack Smith served
as Fire Chiefs in the 1970’s. During this same time period,
the apparatus color was changed from red to lime yellow. In
1976, the company purchased a Dodge van to transport manpower
and equipment to emergency incidents. In 1978, a major
renovations and additions project was completed at the fire
station, including additional apparatus bays, conversion of
the original truck bays to administrative and lounge areas,
and expanding the downstairs social hall.
In 1980, the
company purchased an Emergency One Ford 1000 GPM pumper. In
1981, Kyd Dieterich became the Fire Chief and major changes
would begin. A new dormitory was constructed and
administrative offices were expanded. A unit would now
respond on all life threatening emergency medical calls in the
Funkstown response area. Unhappy with the shortcomings of the
1980 Ford, this unit was sold and a new 1500 GPM 1987 Hahn
pumper was placed in service. In 1989, a small rescue squad
was purchased to replace the utility van and expand the rescue
services provided by the company. Mike Weller served as Fire
Chief in 1987 and 1988, followed by Larry Iseminger in 1989
through 1991, and then Kyd Dieterich returned as the Chief
through the remainder of the 1990’s. The company purchased a
new 1994 KME 1500 GPM pumper with a 1000 gallon water tank and
80 gallons of foam. A Suburban was placed in service to
handle EMS responses and serve as the duty officer vehicle.
In 1999, the
company had outgrown the small 1989 rescue squad; this unit
was sold and was replaced by a 2001 KME heavy duty rescue
squad. Jon Gift became Fire Chief in 2000 followed by Jimmy
Kershner in 2001. In 2002, Jon Gift returned as Fire Chief
and continues in that role today. Since that time, the
department has significantly expanded its response
capabilities with additional equipment and the purchase of a
new 2004 4-wheel drive Tahoe used as a duty officer vehicle
and a new 2003 KME Urban-Interface pumper which was purchased
with a FEMA FireAct grant award.