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.

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 stood by 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. 

On Wednesday evening many House 3 members gathered for a cook out.  So many members made it, that the engine from House 2 was brought up and staffed.  The first box alarm came out at 1907hrs for 1407 Lake Vista Drive, with a report of fire in the basement of a private dwelling.  Engines 811, 812, and 814 all marked up in under 30 seconds w/6 personnel on each (from House 3).  Engine 815 w/4 (from House 1), Chief 8 and Chief 8-1 also took in the run.  All units arrived within seconds of each other.  The Abingdon Volunteers ladder truck started to investigate as E812 secured its own water supply.  A pot of food was found on the oven in the basement "in law" suite.  E812 and T431 stood by for smoke removal, and returned the balance of the assignment.

Twenty minutes after returning from Lake Vista, all the units from Company 8 were at it again.  This time for a reported car fire under a car port in Joppatowne on Ferguson Road.  Within minutes the 4 engines and 2 chiefs were in the area and now receiving sketchy information from communications about the address.  With a strong odor of burning, units began to perform a split lay.  The actual address was later received on Foxwell Drive and the car fire was found to be confined to the engine compartment.  This incident was held to E811 and all others picked up and returned to service. 

In the late afternoon hours on Tuesday, the Company was alerted for a vehicle accident w/ entrapment in the area of Old Joppa Rd & RT 152.  Upon arrival of The Joppa Magnolia Volunteers, they found 3 patients, 1 of which was in serious condition, and required a door to be removed from the vehicle.  Engine 811 performed the door pop as the Rescue Squad from Fallston arrived and assisted with patient care.  In all 2 priority 3 patients, and a trauma arrest patient were transported by ground to area hospitals.  Units on scene, Engine 811, Rescue 1351, Utility 871, Medic 894 and 891.  Captain 8-3(Freund) had the Mountain Rd Command, and units cleared within 30 minutes.