County profile
Washington County, VA 11 departments
Fire department coverage, staffing, and EMS data for Washington County, part of Virginia.
Department Types
Fire Departments in Washington County
| Department | Type | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| ABINGDON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Abingdon · EMS | volunteer | 40 |
| BRUMLEY GAP VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Abingdon · EMS | volunteer | 24 |
| CLINCH MOUNTAIN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Abingdon · EMS | volunteer | 25 |
| COLUMBUS MCKINNON CORPORATION HOIST DIVISION FIRE BRIGADE Damascus | other | — |
| DAMASCUS FIRE DEPARTMENT Damascus · EMS | volunteer | 26 |
| GLADE SPRING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Glade Spring · EMS | volunteer | 27 |
| GOODSON-KINDERHOOK FIRE AND RESCUE Bristol · EMS | volunteer | 34 |
| GOODSON-KINDERHOOK FIRE AND RESCUE Mendota · EMS | other | — |
| GREEN SPRINGS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Abingdon · EMS | volunteer | — |
| MEADOWVIEW VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Meadowview · EMS | volunteer | 48 |
| WASHINGTON COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE Bristol · EMS | volunteer | 25 |
What the Fire Coverage Data Means for Washington County, VA
Washington County reports 11 fire departments in the federal HIFLD registry, staffed by approximately 249 total personnel. The organizational breakdown matters because career, volunteer, and combination departments differ sharply in response time, funding, and training cadence: this county lists 0 career (paid), 9 volunteer, and 0 combination departments. 10 of these departments also provides Emergency Medical Services, meaning the same crews that arrive on a structure fire can often begin patient care on cardiac or trauma calls without waiting for a separate ambulance agency.
Benchmarking the county against its parent state highlights coverage gaps and strengths. Virginia overall averages roughly 33 personnel per department across 766 departments. Washington County averages 23 personnel per department, 30% below the state mean. Lighter staffing per department is common in rural counties where a larger number of small volunteer companies share territory. The state reports about 43,900 fires and 86 fire deaths annually, and 67% of its departments are volunteer-run.
Residents, property owners, and insurance agents can use this profile in several practical ways. A home inside a career or combination department's first-due area typically earns better ISO Public Protection Classification ratings and lower homeowners premiums than one served solely by a distant volunteer station. If the county is heavily volunteer, it is worth checking whether the nearest department has recent FEMA AFG or SAFER grants and whether mutual-aid agreements extend coverage during large incidents. Click into any department below to see its specific personnel count, station footprint, apparatus inventory, EMS status, and FEMA grant history. All figures come from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS) and USFA published fire statistics; small volunteer departments are sometimes underreported, so treat zero-value fields as missing data rather than absent services.
FAQ
How many fire departments are in Washington County, VA? ▼
Washington County, VA has 11 fire departments with available federal data. 9 volunteer,
Does Washington County have EMS coverage? ▼
Yes — 10 departments in Washington County provide EMS services.
How many firefighters serve Washington County? ▼
Washington County has 249 total fire department personnel across 11 departments. The average per department is 23, which is 30% below the Virginia average.
Are Washington County fire departments mostly volunteer? ▼
Yes, 9 of 11 departments (82%) in Washington County are volunteer.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Top fire departments in Washington, VA
Source: U.S. Fire Administration — National Fire Department Registry NFDR (National Fire Department Registry) · 2024 NFDR is a voluntary registry; not all departments may be included. Personnel counts include both career and volunteer staff.
