On May 7, 2019, at the Vigilant Hose Company’s Fire Hall on West Main Street in Emmitsburg, a brand new fire engine, Engine 61, was dedicated to all past VHC chiefs and to the community they serve. The date was selected because it was May 7, 1989 (exactly 30 years before), that the unit this…

Emmitsburg’s volunteer fire department, Vigilant Hose Company (VHC), seeks to remind everyone of the importance of the Frederick County Government’s “Ambulance Transport Insurance Billing” (ATIB, often called ‘EMS Billing’) to all Frederick County Residents who are transported by a Frederick County unit. The program helps citizens of Frederick County by assisting with out-of-pocket expenses for…

On Wednesday, August 8, 2018, family members, along with First Responders of Emmitsburg’s local volunteer fire department, the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC), as well as area citizens and civic leaders from across the region, gathered to say farewell to past VHC fire chief Tom White (pictured right), who passed away on Friday, August 3, 2018,…

On Sunday, June 24, 2018, the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) proudly placed into service its new “Ambulance 69” (A-69) with Amber Zimmerman and Chad Zimmerman running the call. A-69 replaces a unit that was over eleven years old. VHC Chief Umbel stated, “At a cost of over a quarter million dollars, the vision to begin…

by Deb Abraham Spalding At a combined meeting of all available Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company (EVAC) and Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) members at Vigilant Hose Company’s Station 6 on Tuesday evening, December 12, 2017, the signing of merger documentation, in which the Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company became a part of the Vigilant Hose Company, took…

Deb Abraham Spalding Photos by Deb Abraham Spalding The 134th anniversary banquet of the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) was held in the Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building on January 6, 2018. A new board of directors included members from both the former Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company (EVAC) and the VHC. As of January 1, 2018,…

Member Tom Ward The Vigilant Hose Company (VHC), in partnership with the Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company (EVAC), is excited to be progressing with the merger of the two emergency service organizations. Recently, with the support of EVAC, the VHC signed a contract to purchase a 2018 F-550 Road Rescue Ultramedic Ambulance. This unit to be…

  Members of both the Emmitsburg Volunteer Ambulance Company (EVAC) and the Vigilant Hose Company (VHC) have begun to discuss how their respective emergency services roles might be improved by merging personnel, resources and facilities. This initiative is early in its consideration and will require research, on-going discussions and coordination among all stakeholders including the public,…

The general public, as well as area business and community leaders, are invited to see, firsthand, the effectiveness of fire sprinkler protection in homes, places of work, play, and worship. A specially designed live-burn prop will be showcased in the parking lot of the Frederick County Fire-Recue Museum / National Fire Heritage Center at 300B…

The men and women of the Emmitsburg community’s fire and rescue department proudly announce their annual Fire and Life Safety Open House on Thursday, October 13, 2016, from 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m., at the Fire Station, located at 25 West Main Street in Emmitsburg. The public is invited. This will be the sixty-first year that Vigilant…

In light of two recent area fires of significance, a Home Fire Safety Visitation effort, including Smoke Alarm awareness information, began Saturday, December 12, 2015, reaching Emmitsburg area residents. Red Cross volunteers and local fire/rescue first responders were joined by other safety advocates in going door-to-door, promoting the importance of having working smoke alarms in…