WHITE MARSH, Md. — White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company sounds the alarm – this time for support.
While demand for services is going up, so too are operations costs.
“Demand is increasing all over the country. That’s no different for us,” said paramedic and 2nd Lieutenant Zoe Shane.
Last year their EMS crews handled over 2,600 calls.
Already in the first few months of 2025 they've reached nearly half that number.
“When we get calls, it’s normally somebody else’s worst day. So even if it’s a run-of-the-mill call to us, we recognize that it is somebody else’s scariest,” said Shane.
To meet growing demand, the station added two advanced life support ambulances.
But with rising fuel, maintenance, and equipment costs, they need the community's help.
This local volunteer fire company provides fire, rescue, and emergency medical services in White Marsh, Perry Hall, Nottingham and other communities within Baltimore and Harford Counties.
“We’re the busiest volunteer station in the county and have a higher demand than some of the full-time departments in the area and we’re volunteer-only,” said Shane.
When short on resources, response times are impacted, potentially delaying critical care for patients.
Baltimore County subsidizes some of the costs, but the fire company is responsible for vehicle maintenance, equipment, and training.
“Every hour that people can come in and dedicate their time helps us a lot — the same way that every dollar contributes massively to our operation. Tens of thousands of dollars from the community that we could not do without, in order to keep our equipment on the street,” Shane said.
Donations and funding are critical to maintain operations — but so are the volunteers.
“They are qualified and not only dedicated to their training but come here in addition to having children and full-time jobs. This is nobody’s full-time employment. They come here after bath time or dinner, or before they go into work,” said Shane.
Every Tuesday night from 4 to 8 p.m., the fire company hosts food trucks and sometimes live music to raise money.
“It’s a chance for kids to get on the fire engine, see the ambulances — because we really are integrated into the community. These are our families, our homes that we’re serving,” said Shane.
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