The History of the
Dolphin Volunteer Fire Department
As of July 2007

The Dolphin Volunteer Fire Department was officially organized on February 10, 1977.  The department started with 21 members.  The department’s first truck was purchased from the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department in March of 1977 for $752.  “Betsy” was a 1959 Chevrolet with a 1000 gallon water tank and a 500 gpm front mounted pump.  When purchased from Alberta, it had an elliptical tank on it, later it was reconstructed by the members with a more modern style fire body.  This unit was sold August 7, 1990 to a local farmer.

The department had its first truck and had answered several calls, now it had to find a home.  The members of the Dolphin Community Center donated the land with a 100 year lease to the department to erect a building.  The building went up rapidly with a lot of hard work from the members and people in the community.

During 1978, members started working on its second truck, a 1964 Dodge weapons carrier that was purchased from the Ebony Volunteer Fire Department.  The truck was equipped with a 500 gallon tank and a 500 gpm Waterous portable pump.  During the year, members continued to work hard on building the department by continuing to train and raise money for future growth.

In 1979 the department purchased its first new truck, a 1979 F350 chassis from Crest Motors in Lawrenceville.  The body was built by one of the members in his machine shop with help from a lot of local volunteers.  Members felt that by building the truck instead of buying one, they would save a great deal of money to buy other equipment. This truck became 491and served as the first out truck on every call for the department unit is was sold to Ray Braguglia of Newport News on December 7, 2004.  Ray purchased the truck to use as a brush truck on his farm and drives it regularly to parades. A photo of the truck can be seen on the Old Dominion Historical Fire Society’s web site, odhrs.org, under the owners pride photo section.  Also in 1979, local supporters chipped in and purchased a 1967 American LaFrance from the Emporia Volunteer Fire Department for $3,000.  This unit had a 1000 gpm pump and a 500 gallon tank.  This truck served the department for about five years before it was sold to the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department.

The next big step was building the department’s first big tanker.  The truck was a 1976 Chevrolet tandem that was donated by J.C. Lucy of Abell Lumber Company in Dolphin.  The pump was picked up in a swap with the Triplet Volunteer Fire Department for a jeep that was not running.  The members built the truck for a little over $6,000.  This truck became 492 and had 2450 gallons of water and everyone was glad to literally “hear” it coming to a big fire.  This truck was replaced in 1999.

In March of 1990, the department bought what was its primary pumper, 494, a 1979 American LaFrance on a Chevrolet chassis with a 1000 gallon tank and a 1000 gpm pump.  This truck was purchased from a department in North Carolina through C.W. William’s Fire Equipment Company.  This truck was sold to the Lane Volunteer Fire Department, Lane, Oklahoma in 2005.

In 1992 the department was donated a 1986 Chevrolet 4x4 pickup from Virginia Power.  The truck was equipped with a skid unit that had been previously donated by a department from Prince George County.  The unit itself had a 250 gallon tank and a high pressure pump.  The skid unit was replaced in August of 2002 with a new 180 gallon water tank, 8 gallon Class A foam tank and a 250 gpm Hale pump and Hale foam system.  This truck was known as 493 and is now Brush 4.

In 1997 the department started looking to replace the 1976 Chevrolet tanker, 492.  After a long search, the department purchased a 1976 CF Mack from Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, Wagstaff Circle Station 10.  The truck ran for about a year in Chesterfield yellow before it was repainted by Virginia Truck Center in Richmond to a white over red paint scheme.  Slagle’s Fire Equipment also installed a gravity dump on the rear and a rack on the side for a drop tank.  The truck has a 1000 gallon tank, 1000 gpm pump and jump seats for two firefighters, a first for the department. This truck became 492 and is currently running as Engine 42.

In 2001, the department received a set of used Hurst extrication tools through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.  The old Chrysler power unit was replaced with a new more efficient Honda power unit.  Many hours of training from members of the Southside Rescue Squad in South Hill were needed before the tools could be placed on 491.

From 1998 to 2002, the department started to update the then 25 year old building and grounds.  While Liberty Road was being rebuilt by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the contractors worked with the department to grade and pave the gravel parking lot.  Another local contractor built new lockers for the firefighter’s turnout gear and helped finish the floor in the meeting room.  The original barn style sliding door was replaced on the front of the building with three overhead doors with a brick veneer on the front of the building.  The old wall board in the bay area was also removed and replaced with sheet rock in 2002.

On September 21, 2002, the department hosted the 47^th annual Southside Virginia Volunteer Firefighters Association’s annual convention and competition at the Sturgeon Elementary School.  Bill Parrish presided as president for one year over the association to coordinate the work of its members, to disseminate knowledge of firefighting methods, to promote and encourage cooperation among its member departments, to promote goodwill and devoted service to the people of the communities served by its members and to promote general interest in knowledge of fire prevention.  Fifteen departments competed on the field for the Harry F. Bailey memorial trophy sponsored by the South Hill Volunteer Fire Department and over 400 people were served dinner at the awards ceremony.  The Dolphin Volunteer fire department won the overall trophy in 1993 and again in 1998.

In July of 2002, the department was notified that it had been selected to receive a grant in the amount of $165,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be used to purchase a new tanker.  In December of 2002, the Chief C.W. Roberts and 1^st Assistant Chief Bill Parrish traveled with Joe Pack from Singer Fire Associates to Appleton, Wisconsin to Pierce Manufacturing to review specs on a new tanker with engineers.  In July of 2002, C.W. Roberts, Bill Parrish, Billy Smith and Harry Corum returned to Appleton for final inspection of the tanker.  This truck would become Tanker 4, a 2003 Kenworth with a 1000 gpm pump, 2000 gallon tank and is equipped with one 10” rear dump and two 8” side dumps that can be operated from the cab of the truck.  This truck can dump its entire load of water in under 45 seconds.

In 2003, the department received another grant from FEMA for $85,000 for new turnout gear for all twenty firefighters and ten new high pressure Scott self contained breathing apparatus (air packs) with a spare bottle for each pack.  This brought all members up to NFPA standards for turnout gear as in the past; the department only had enough funds to purchase one or two sets per year.  The department also installed a back up generator for the fire station with funding from Brunswick County.

In 2004, the department received yet another grant from FEMA in the amount of $45,000 for a breathing air refill station and compressor to refill air bottles at the fire station.  In the past, the department had to carry bottles to the Lawrenceville Volunteer Fire Department and have them refilled every time after being used.

In 2005, the department needed a pumper to replace 494 and 491 that had been sold earlier in 2004 and 2005.  The department found a 1996 Pierce Dash at the Fallowfield VFC in Charleroi, Pa.  Then Chief C.W. Roberts, 1^st Assistant Chief Bill Parrish, Captain Wayne Bowen, President Harry Corum and firefighter C.K. Greene traveled to Charleroi in July of 2005 to inspect the truck and see if it was what the department needed.  It was decided that it was what the department needed and they drove it back to the station.  The truck has a custom cab, another first for the department that has room for six firefighters, five with air packs, a 1750 gpm pump, 1000 gallon water tank and 40 gallon Class A foam tank. This truck is known as Engine 4 and is first out on all structure fires and motor vehicle crashes.

In 2006, the department was awarded yet another grant, this time through Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company in the amount of $41,000 for the replacement of the departments van with a 2007 Ford F250 4x4 crew cab pickup to pull the counties Technical Rescue Trailer and to be used as a carry all.  This grant would not have been possible without the support of our friends at the Rutherforrd Insurance Agency.  This truck is known as Utility 4.

The Dolphin Volunteer Fire Department has overcome many obstacles since its inception.  From the beginning, members learned to work with what they had and could not have made it with out the help of surrounding departments and the many donations of used equipment and the time and dedication of all its members past and present.  The department has been very fortunate to receive funding through grants to purchase much needed equipment, but it can not function with out the support of its number one supporter, the community.