About
The Washington Volunteer Fire Department has been the primary provider of Fire and EMS services for the Town of Washington (except the area on the west side of Ashuelot Pond), and parts of Stoddard on both sides of the northern half of Highland Lake since 1939. We have equipment and training to deliver: fire suppression; EMS response and transport at the paramedic level; wildland fire response; vehicle extrication; basic HazMat response & containment; water & ice rescue; search & rescue; and off-road response as needed.
Our members all respond to calls on a volunteer basis from home or work as available when notified. Though still classified as “volunteer,” members are paid when on a call or at training. The Center Fire Station is staffed during weekdays by per diem EMS providers, many of whom are also certified firefighters. There is a history of Fire & EMS membership being a family affair. There have been many instances of multiple generations of a family being part of the fire and EMS corps. The longest serving active member of the department is Assistant Chief Robert “Bobby” Crane, II who just passed his 50-year mark, though he started attending fire events as a child when his father was Fire Chief.
The Department has spawned full time career firefighters and EMS providers from our ranks. NH Departments with former Washington volunteers include Concord Fire, Hudson Fire, Henniker Fire, and Hopkinton Fire.
We operate from two fire stations, Center Station and East Washington with several pieces of apparatus. Working with our local public safety responders on the Washington Police and Public Works Departments, Emergency Operations Manager, and mutual aid from neighboring town Fire Departments we strive to provide the best of safety services to our residents, property owners, visitors and motorists passing through. We are dispatched by Concord Fire Alarm, a division of the Concord Fire Department. We are also members of the Capital Region and Keene Mutual Aid systems.
The main source of funding comes from the municipal budget and billing for ambulance transports. The Washington Volunteer Fire Squad, Inc. is an IRS recognized 501(C)3 non-profit organization which does private fundraising and accepts donations for purchasing equipment and services to support the fire department which are beyond the means of the municipal budget.
Click on the left bar links for more information about the department's facilities, apparatus, Fire Chiefs and life members.