The Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company is located in southern Harford County, Maryland. We are one of 12 fire and ambulance companies in our county, providing fire suppression, rescue, and advanced life support services to approximately 30,000 people in the communities of Joppa, Joppatowne, Edgewood, and part of Kingsville. We operate from three stations with five engines, one ladder truck, three ALS ambulances, a brush truck, four chief’s vehicles, three utility vehicles, and one coffee wagon. Dispatch services are provided county-wide by the Harford County Division of Emergency Operations. Hazardous materials mitigation is handled by the Harford County Hazmat Team, which is a paid-on-call team of approximately 30 members. Fire investigation is handled by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The borders of JMVFC’s area are the Baltimore/Harford County line to the west, the AMTRAK/CSX rail line to the south, Winters Run/Edgewood Road to the east, and U.S. Route 1 to the north.

In the early morning  @ 0618hrs JMVFC was alerted for an Auto Fire to the rear Starlite Plaza at Victory Cab Co. which was threatening a wooded area along with other vehicles in the parking area.  E815 responded and arrived soon thereafter, and found a 2 door pick-up truck, fully involved.  The crew from E815 attacked the fire, and quickly brought it under control within minutes.   According to witness accounts, the fire began in the engine compartment shortly after the owner started the vehicle, the fire then spread from the engine compartment to the rest of the vehicle.

Just before 3pm today a report of a townhouse fire was transmitted at 1863 Grempler Way.  First arriving Safety Officer 8 reported smoke showing form a middle of the group townhouse.  Engine 812 was the first arriving suppression company and got a line to the basement, where they found a small fire confined to one room.  The box alarm was quickly scaled back to Engine 812 and Truck 1232 (APGFD).  Fire Marshalls were requested and the cause was found to be a child playing with matches. 

The company was alerted for a MVC w/ injury during rush hour at RT152 @ the North Bound Interstate 95 off ramp.  First arriving Engine 812, quickly found the need for a door removal, and transmitted the need for a rescue assignment.  Engine 812 cribbed the vehicle and began the extrication process with the on board "combi tool" and "O" Tool.  Rescue Engine 815 arrived a few minutes later and assisted with patient care as E812 freed the patient to awaiting Medic 892. 

In the early evening hours on Sunday, the first due house fire was dispatched for the 600 block of Yorkshire Dr on "B Court" just next to "House 3".  Engine 812 marked up w/ 4 within seconds, and arrived in under a minute.  Engine 812 secured their own hydrant and quickly stretched a crosslay.  Light smoke was seen from a second floor window and the nozzle team made their up the stairs and encountered fire in the front bedroom.  The fire was darkened down quickly and searches were negative, Command then scaled the incident down to 1 Engine and 1 Truck.  Fire Chief 8-1 had the Yorkshire Command. 

This morning at 10am, 8 volunteers staffed Engine 811 and Medic 891, to fill in at The Edgewood Fire Station on Aberdeen Proving Grounds due to LODD of FF Farrington.  These units stood by until 1700hrs when the Federal Fire Fighters returned from honoring and wishing a final farewell to Brother Farrington.  The JMVFC also staffed their own house 1 and 3 while these units filled in on the Proving Grounds.

It is with deep sorrow to advise that Delta-Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company President / Firefighter Douglas Farrington died Monday in the Line of Duty.  He would have been 45 in October. He died from a massive heart attack.
Firefighter Farrington responded the fire station to staff a backup engine as the company responded to a barn fire in Peach Bottom Township of York County, PA. After the fire company returned to the station, FF Farrington assisted in cleaning and a putting away the equipment and then went home at approximately 2330hrs. The following morning after he had reported to duty at his full-time job with the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Fire Department, Firefighter Farrington stayed just a short time and then returned home where he passed away from a fatal heart attack at approximately 1116 hrs. FF Farrington had also served as a Lt and Captain at the Delta Cardiff VFC.

The officers and members of the Joppa Magnolia VOLUNTEER Fire Department sends our sincere condolences to his family and departments of which he served!

Just after 11am today the Volunteers and surronding companies were alerted for Fire in a Building at #40 Fort Hoyle Rd.  Further remarks from communications advised of a welding truck inside a building.  First arriving units confirmed a working fire in a large metal structure.  2 lines were stretched and the fire was contained to the vehicle.  The assignment was quickly scaled back and Engines 814, 811, and 1213 were held for approx 45min before taking up.

This morning the Company was alerted for a Motor Vehicle Collision at Magnolia Rd and Trimble Rd.  Units arrived to find a SUV that had "T-Boned" a dump truck directly in the diesel saddle tank.  The patient of the SUV was ejected and transported by ground to a local Trauma Center.  The saddle tank leaked approx 50gallons of diesel and the Harford County Haz-Mat team was on scene for clean up and off loading operations.

Around 1400 hours, multiple citizens ran into house 3 saying there was a house on fire up the street; simultaneously EOC transmitted fire box 806 for a dwelling fire at 718 Stanford Court.  Engine 815 was first to arrive.  They reported a two story, end of group dwelling, with heavy smoke showing and requested a working fire assignment.  Crews made an aggressive interior attack to extinguish a kitchen fire.  Engine 811, Engine 812, Paramedic 893 and Chief 8 also responded.  After knocking the fire, units checked for extension and conducted primary and secondary searches, which were negative.  Crews also checked exposure bravo, 716, for any extension, which was also negative.  No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The past week in Edgewood has been a typical violent summer for this community.  It all started Monday night when the company received a call for a shooting in a community next to House 3 (Hanson Rd Sub Station).  The units arrived and found 1 shot, with at least 5 wounds he was quickly transported to Shock Trauma in Downtown Baltimore, and county Police had 1 in custody, but could not verify if he was directly involved.  The next morning in another community just adjacent to House 3, the company responded to multiple stabbings.  Wednesday evening was another shooting in the same communities.  No leads into the second and third crimes.  This evening (Friday) The County teamed up with The Maryland State Police and swarmed the Edgewood Communities with over 25 additional officers. At a few minutes after 0200hrs, the company was alerted for a vehicle collision with one overturned on RT 152 NR Interstate 95.  Upon Engine 812 and Medic 892's arrival over a dozen police officers were on scene with 2 in custody. There was only the vehicle involved and it was being chased by local authorities, no injuries were reported.

On Thursday July 29, 2010 at approximately 1410 hours Company 8 was alerted for a reported dwelling fire on Cider Press Loop in Joppatowne. Engine 815 was the first piece to call enroute and had a column of smoke from Joppa Farm Road. Engine 815 arrived with a 2 story middle of group townhouse with heavy fire through the roof and requested the second alarm. The fire appears to have started on the back deck and ran up the house into the attic. Companies on scene were able to keep the fire from spreading to either exposure. Companies on scene were Joppa, APG (Edgewood), Abingdon, Kingsville, Bel Air, Fallston, Susquehanna Hose Company and the Maryland State Fire Marshal. The fire is currently under investigation. Crews were on scene approximately 2 hours.

The VOLUNTEERS responded to a report of a bedroom fire today at 1927 Brookside Dr just minutes after noon. First arriving Safety Officer 8 reported a 3 story middle of the group townhouse with smoke from the top floor.  Engine 812 and 815 arrived simultaneously, as Engine 812 laid out a supply line they arrived and stretched a crosslay to the top floor.  As 812 got a line to the fire other units conducted a primary search which proved negative.  The fire was confined to the room of origin which was started by a child playing with a lighter.  Captain 8-3 (Freund) had the Brookside Command and Companies were ready for service within an hour.  Engines 812, 814, and 815 with 10 personnel, Chief 8-1 and Safety 8 were on scene.