Comcast Donates $15,000 to Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Comcast has provided a $15,000 donation to the Washington County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (WCVFRA) in recognition of National First Responders Day. The telecommunications company also hosted a lunch on National First Responders Day in October for volunteers at the Williamsport Volunteer Fire & EMS station. This contribution comes as Comcast is actively expanding its network to serve over 50,000 homes and businesses across the Hagerstown area, including communities such as Cavetown, Fairplay, Funkstown, Smithsburg, and Williamsport, while the County significantly expands paid Fire and EMS staffing to meet increased demand in the county.

“We love being a part of the Washington County community and are proud to honor the dedicated first responders who serve this region every day. We are deeply committed to investing in Washington County – from connecting new residents and businesses to our state-of-the-art network to supporting the people and organizations who help this community thrive,” said Misty Allen, Vice President of Government Affairs & Community Impact for Comcast’s Beltway Region.

The funding for fire and rescue services in Washington County, excluding the City of Hagerstown’s municipal operations, operates under a combination service model. This system integrates a long-standing network of independent volunteer companies with a growing cadre of county-paid career staff managed by the Division of Emergency Services (DES). The financial backbone of this structure relies on several key components: annual appropriations from the County General Fund, a mandated allocation of state gaming revenues, dedicated local fees for fire prevention services, and federal grant funding for both personnel and equipment.

County-paid staffing for fire and emergency medical services has seen a dramatic increase, rising from 10 positions in Fiscal Year 2017 to a proposed 108 positions in the FY2026 budget. This shift reflects the County Commissioners’ acknowledgment of the operational difficulties associated with an exclusively volunteer workforce for core services, particularly in balancing emergency response with fundraising and administrative duties. The Board of County Commissioners establishes formal fiscal policies for the allocation of county funds to all Emergency Service Companies (ESCs), ensuring that funds are used appropriately for emergency services, maintained with transparent accounting, and that services comply with adopted policies. Funding is disbursed in four equal installments throughout the fiscal year, contingent upon the timely submission and approval of required financial reports.

Voluntary donations as well as state gaming revenues provide a vital, quasi-dedicated funding stream for the volunteer infrastructure. These state-allocated funds are distributed equally between the WCVFRA and eligible charitable organizations, with the WCVFRA acting as a conduit to its member companies. In Fiscal Year 2025, the WCVFRA received over $1.17 million in gaming revenue, which helps to offset the foundational operating expenses of the independent volunteer companies and reduces direct pressure on the County General Fund.

The Washington County Fire and Rescue system, outside of the City of Hagerstown which has its own professional paid firefighters, has established a diversified funding base to support its combination service model. The reliance on state gaming revenues provides a stable operational funding source for the WCVFRA, and dedicated fire prevention fees help offset operational costs. The systematic funding of the capital improvement plan ensures long-term apparatus renewal. However, the primary fiscal vulnerability lies in the absorption of costs from federal personnel grants into the local budget. The significant increase in county-paid staff since FY2017 must now be funded entirely by local taxpayers. The county faces the challenge of securing permanent funding solutions to sustain its public safety model and prevent budget shocks that could lead to service reductions.

In October, the Washington County Office of Emergency Management reported a very active month, including two community preparedness events and presentations, three exercises, drills, and trainings, and sent out 12,499 mass public notifications. The number of mass notification subscribers also grew to 1,337.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from Comcast and Washington County Government documentation.

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