For more than a hundred years, the people of Sandy Spring have looked after one another — and the fire department has been at the heart of that promise since the very beginning.
What began in 1924 as a small group of residents pooling their resources to protect their community has grown into a full-service volunteer fire and rescue organization serving Sandy Spring, Olney, and the surrounding communities of Montgomery County. The trucks have changed, the calls have multiplied, and the technology has advanced beyond anything those founders could have imagined — but the mission has never wavered. This is the story of how it happened.
1924
Year Founded
100+
Years of Service
2
Stations
6,100+
Annual Responses
A Century in Eight Chapters
From a $700 founding to over six thousand responses a year — the milestones that shaped the department.
A Community Decides to Protect Itself
From Hand Tools to Horsepower
The young department put its first dollars toward equipment, purchasing a 1924 International chemical unit — its first real pumper. In 1926, a Model T Ford fitted with a portable Evinrude pump joined the fleet, giving volunteers the mobility to reach fires across the rural countryside they served.
Station 4 Rises
On June 19, 1930, members broke ground on Station 4 — built in large part by the volunteers themselves. Through the 1930s the fleet kept pace with the community’s growth, adding a Diamond T pumper in 1935 as the department matured from a fledgling outfit into an established institution.
"Pearl" Joins the Line
In 1949 the department purchased its first Mack pumper, affectionately nicknamed “Pearl.” A second Mack followed in 1954 — a truck still in service today as a beloved parade unit. In 1955, Station 4 was expanded with a three-story addition to house the growing organization and its equipment.
A New Standard of Service
Station 40 Opens in Olney
On December 1, 1971, Station 40 opened at 16911 Georgia Avenue in Olney, extending the department’s reach to a rapidly growing part of the county. Two stations now anchored a service area that stretched across northern Montgomery County, doubling the department’s operational footprint.
Meeting a Growing County
As Montgomery County grew, so did the demands on Sandy Spring. The department expanded its EMS capabilities, modernized its apparatus, and built the administrative and operational structure of a contemporary fire and rescue organization — all while holding to the volunteer ethos that defined it from the start.
"The Pearl" Comes Home
In September 2019, the department reacquired “The Pearl” — one of its historic Mack pumpers — at auction, and restoration is underway to preserve a tangible piece of its heritage. Today, Sandy Spring answers more than 6,100 calls a year from two stations, carrying a century of service into its next hundred years.andy Spring. The department expanded its EMS capabilities, modernized its apparatus, and built the administrative and operational structure of a contemporary fire and rescue organization — all while holding to the volunteer ethos that defined it from the start.
Milestones at a Glance
From a $700 founding to over six thousand responses a year — the milestones that shaped the department.
Organizing committee meets for the first time.
First public meeting held at Sherwood High School; department founded.
Model T Ford with portable Evinrude pump added.
First pumper purchased — a 1924 International chemical unit.
Station 4 established — ground broken by members.
Diamond T pumper added to the growing fleet.
First Mack pumper purchased — nicknamed “Pearl.”
Second Mack pumper purchased — still a parade unit today.
Station 4 expanded with a three-story addition.
Station 40 opens at 16911 Georgia Avenue, Olney.
Fleet modernized; first career personnel hired.
“The Pearl” reacquired at auction — restoration underway.
Our Fallen Heroes
We remember the members who gave their lives in service to this community. Their courage is woven into every call we answer.