HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
West Friendship, MD · Howard County
HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving West Friendship, MD (Howard County), with 1 station and 75 total personnel. The department also provides EMS services. Full equipment, coverage, and staffing data from HIFLD are below.
- 75
- Total personnel
- 1
- Stations
- —
- Fire trucks
- Yes
- EMS service
(92/dept)
of 245 MD depts
staffing density
AFG / SAFER
Department Profile
- Type
- MOSTLY VOLUNTEER
- Location
- West Friendship, MD
- County
- Howard County
- FDID
- 13003
Staffing vs the Maryland average
How HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT's personnel count compares to the typical department in Maryland. It is larger than 56% of the 245 reporting departments statewide.
- Stations
- 1
- State fire deaths/yr
- 67
- MD departments
- 379
What This Data Tells You About HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT operates as a Volunteer department in West Friendship, within Howard County, and the HIFLD and USFA records give a precise structural picture of its response capacity. The department reports 75 total personnel, 1 station, no truck inventory reported. EMS capability is listed as active, which directly affects how medical calls in the service area are routed and how quickly an advanced life support unit can reach a patient. Department type matters because career, volunteer, and combination organizations carry very different response-time profiles and funding sources.
Benchmarking against the state gives this profile context. Maryland has 379 registered fire departments and 34,910 total personnel, averaging roughly 92 staff per department. HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT runs 18% below that state average, signalling a leaner crew typical of smaller jurisdictions or heavily volunteer-staffed areas. The state records about 32,800 fires, 67 fire deaths, and 58% volunteer coverage each year, which shapes training, funding priorities, and mutual-aid patterns felt at every department in the state.
No FEMA AFG or SAFER grant awards are recorded against this department's FDID in USAspending data, which is common for smaller or volunteer-heavy organizations that lean on state and local funding instead. Residents, insurers, and mutual-aid partners use these data points to judge whether coverage is adequate for the built environment, whether ISO ratings are defensible, and where future capital investment should flow. All figures on this page come from the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) public dataset, USFA published statistics, and USAspending.gov, and are presented without editing so the underlying federal record remains transparent and verifiable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many firefighters does HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT have? ▼
HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT has 75 total personnel according to HIFLD data. This is 18% below the Maryland average of 92 per department.
Does HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT provide EMS services? ▼
Yes, HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT provides Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in addition to fire response.
How many fire stations does HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT operate? ▼
HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT operates 1 fire station.
What type of fire department is HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT? ▼
HOWARD COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving Howard County, MD. Volunteer departments rely on community members who serve without full-time compensation.
How many fire departments are in Maryland? ▼
Maryland has 379 fire departments with 34,910 total personnel. 58% are volunteer departments.
Learn More
Related Fire Data
Data from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS). Not all departments report equally.
Nearby Departments
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Related
Federal data sources
- HIFLD Fire Stations (DHS/CISA) — station inventory, personnel, and apparatus counts.
- USFA National Fire Department Registry (FEMA) — department-type classification and federal registration.
- FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants — federal grant award history.
- NFPA 1710 / NFPA 1720 — career and volunteer response benchmarks.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from FEMA/DHS HIFLD Open Data. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.