Dover Volunteer Fire Department

05/06/2026

05/03/2026

Most people assume community fire protection and rescue response comes from full-time, paid crews—but across the United States, the backbone of emergency response is the volunteer fire service. According to the National Fire Protection Association, roughly two-thirds of firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers. That means when a call comes in—house fire, car crash, medical emergency, lift assist, yes even “a cat in tree”—it’s often your neighbor leaving dinner, work, or sleep to respond.

That reality says something deeper about community. Volunteer fire departments aren’t just about putting out fires; they’re about shared responsibility. They exist because people choose to step forward and say, “If something happens here, I’ll be part of the solution.” In rural and small-town, without volunteers, there would not be anyone available so you would wait for nearest town to respond.

I believe that being involved in your community—whether through the fire department, EMS, support roles, or in political leadership—builds resilience that government programs alone simply can't replicate (or, often even afford). It creates trust, accountability, and a sense that people are not alone when things go wrong. I've been with people experiencing their worst day, and that matters. It's good to know that you're not just protected by a system; you’re protected by people who know you, live near you, and care about the outcome.

Volunteer fire departments remind us that community isn’t an abstract idea—it’s action. It’s showing up when it matters most. I have an enormous amount of respect for the men and women who serve in volunteer fire departments, and I'm honored to be apart of one too. Volunteer's don't always have the time, but they have "the heart" and “the passion".

05/02/2026

Tattooed the tanker today. Looking good!

04/29/2026

Back at the end of March we posted that some exciting news is coming to Dover VFD. A way for you to give back and to help a local volunteer Fire Department. You may not know but equipment for the first responders are very expensive! (What isn’t these days) but for example the “turn out gear” this is the pants, coat, gloves, boots, nomex. (This is flame resistant covering that goes around the head under the helmet, and helmet cost anywhere from $4-6 thousand dollars per firefighter. Radios cost $2500-3 thousand dollars a piece. SCBA this is the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (the air pack to help us breathe while fighting the fire or going into the burning structure cost $10-15 thousand dollars a piece. Not mentioning all of the other tools, training etc. it cost to run your local VOLUNTEER fire department. And then we are reminded that all of this is volunteers. Meaning there is absolutely no pay involved and much of this comes out of our own pockets. Yes we do get funding from the county from your tax dollars. We are very grateful for that but as you know funds are limited there as well. So, how can you help? How can you give back? Well I am so glad you asked because I am going to share. #1 pray! Please pray for your first responders. Remember this is all volunteers leaving their families anytime the “tone” drops (we are called out) weather it’s a fire, car wreck medical call, get a cat out of the tree (yes I have done that) etc. volunteers running to help you in your time of need using their own time and gas. So please pray for your first responders. #2 you can help financially. The Dover Volunteer Fire Department has gotten created in this for you to get involved. We have purchased (out of our own pockets) a food trailer. We are equipping this trailer (out of our own pockets) with the equipment needed to cook and serve food. We are still in the process of equipping the trailer to get set up. But when we are finished we will be setting up in town, around the county, also at events cooking and selling food. We are working on the menu now and have some great things coming. And remember this is bought, run and operated by VOLUNTEERS. Meaning, 100% of the moneys collected by this food trailer goes right back into the Dover Volunteer Fire department and will be used to income the fire department. So stay tuned, and we will be updating and sharing locations to where we will be set up and serving you. Please share and please please support your local fire department.

04/21/2026

Conditions have dried out since the recent light rainfall event. The combination of very low RH values and gusty winds will raise the threat for wildfires today.

04/17/2026

Get an escape plan together and practice it with the family. Create a meeting place. Smoke detectors! Smoke detectors! Smoke detectors!

04/12/2026

Sure need to invest in them today for our tomorrow. The amount of dedicated volunteers to show up to calls in the volunteer fire department is getting thin.

04/07/2026

Behind every fire call, there’s a firefighter ready to risk everything for someone they’ve never met.