Mechanicsville VFD celebrates 75 years with a parade

North County news

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by REID SILVERMAN Two-year-old Nevin McGraw of Mechanicsville cheers on the march of the firefighters and fire trucks as he is held by family friend Ashley O'Hara, 5. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Driver and lifetime Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department member Henry J. Fowler Jr. and Bobby Burroughs, a former MVFD member, in the cab, re-enact the bucket brigade Saturday from when the department formed in 1934. Both their fathers, Henry J. Fowler Sr. and Warren Burroughs, were in the original brigade, when fire trucks were privately owned farm trucks such as the one driven by Fowler Jr. Click here to enlarge this photo Mechanicsville firefighter Jason Kurtz plays the bagpipes as he begins the march of fire trucks, firefighters and rescue squad members from each company in St. Mary's County down Old Village Road in Mechanicsville. Click here to enlarge this photo Mindy Moore, 17, Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Fire Prevention Queen, waves to the crowd in a classic Chevrolet Chevelle convertible driven by life member Wayne Copsey along Old Village Road.

The Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 75th anniversary last weekend in a parade down Old Village Road.

The need for the fire department became evident after a store fire started on July 4, 1934, that threatened to burn down the small hamlet of Mechanicsville.

A small pond served as the fire department's source of water in the beginning.

Today Mechanicsville's fire department has two stations, one at Hills Club Road and a substation in the Golden Beach neighborhood.

In 2008, the two stations of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department responded to 889 calls for service.

Nearly 100 pieces of apparatus were on hand for the parade this weekend, according to the fire department.

jbabcock@somdnews.com