Bay District Volunteer Fire Department


(Formerly Lexington Park Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.)

 

In 1943, the Federal Public Housing Authority (FPHA) operated the Flat Tops (formerly Lexington Manor), Carver Heights (currently South Hampton) and the Cedar Park Trailer (current location of the Days Inn and former location of the Belvedere Motel and Restaurant). The also operated the Lexington Park Hotel/Motel which included the former Plaza movie theater & small retail stores across from the current Fire House on South Coral Drive in Lexington Park. There were similar buildings in Carver Heights.
 

There were three community buildings:

  • Felix Johnson Community Center which is now the site of Freedom Landing at the corner of Tulagi Place and Rt-235.

  • Carver Heights Community Center which is the previous location of the Health Department building on Lincoln Ave.

  • Cedar Park office

FPHA also erected and leased out stores on Tulagi Place which included a food market, variety store, drug store, and other small retail stores.
 

In addition, FPHA assisted in setting up a citizens association. When the NAS Patuxent River Fire Department declined to accept the responsibility for the fire protection in the Lexington Park and surrounding area, the FPHA officials came to the citizens association and asked them to organize a fire department. FPHA agreed to purchase a fire engine, hose and protective clothing (running gear) and to build a fire station (current location of the Lexington Park Station of the Bay District VFD, Inc.).
 

In October, 1943 the Lexington Park Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated. While the fire engine was being obtained, the fire department, received a hose cart that required two horses to pull it. This proved unsatisfactory and the Navy provided a jeep to pull a trailer with a 500 GPM pump and 500 foot of 2 ½” fire hose ( to be used for fires only and no drilling was allowed with this equipment!!). A 500 class B pumper with 200 gallons of water on a General chassis was obtained from the General Fire Apparatus in Detroit, MI. This engine was first housed in the garage portion of the Felix Johnson Community Center building. In 1945, the first three bay of the current Lexington Park Station was built and the engine (the department still has this unit which was Brush 3) was moved to the new station. This new fire department provided fire protection served by the Great Mills telephone exchange. This exchange serviced area south of Sandy Bottom on Rt-235 and Chingville Road & Rt-5 south to Piney Point/St. Georges Island and Point Lookout (currently served by the Ridge VFD (1949), Second District VFD&RC (formerly McKay's Beach - 1949) and the Hollywood VFD -1957).


Technology that was used first in most cases by the leadership of this war-time Fire Department:

Fog nozzles & 1 ½" fire hose
Two-way radios (June 1950)
1 ½" pre-connected hose lines
Portable radios
Soft sleeve for hydrant connection
Water Tanker
Fire Tax - 1957
Aerial ladder truck
Ladder Tower
Master stream devices
3" water supply hose line
Pre-connected 2 ½" attack line with Santa Rosa nozzle
Breathing air compressor
30 minute & 1 hour SCBA
Cab-ahead fire apparatus (1960) w/ SCBA integrated into jump seats
Color coded attack hose lines
Personal Accountability Tags - Pat tags - 1969 (Fire Engineering article)
Four door cab apparatus (no personnel on rear step - 1986)
Around the pump foam system integrated with pump & roll capability
500 GPM foam nozzle on pre-connected deck gun
Bunk room integrated into the fire station
California Station of the Bay District VFD, Inc. opened December 1993
Safety Officer and safety committee to meet NFPA - 1500 requirements
Pre-connected deck gun in conjunction with 2 ½" SS nozzle & 2 ½" shut off

ISO

 

The initials, ISO, Insurance Services Office (ISO) surveys community fire defenses and with information obtained sets fire insurance rates. The factors and weighting are as follows:

·Fire Department - 50%

·Water Supply - 40%

·Communications - receiving & handling alarms - 10%

The Bay District VFD, Inc., an all volunteer fire department, has a fire protection rating of Class 3. Commercial and residential property fire protection is rated from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best rating. The lower the class rating the lower the fire insurance rate on a commercial or residential property.


 

 
Historic Photos