The Hagerstown Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1874. The official name is Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Department. The fire department is an all-volunteer department consisting of 25 well trained members. The department services citizens in Hagerstown, rural Jefferson Township and the southern third of Dalton Township. The fire department covers 26-square miles of territory and protects 5,300 citizens. It provides mutual aid to 12 other departments in Wayne County along with departments in Henry and Randolph counties. The fire department is a member of the Indiana Volunteer Fire Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, National Fire Protection and the Wayne County Firefighters Association. In 2016 we received an ISO rating of Class 4, which is the best rating a volunteer department can receive.

The Hagerstown Fire Department’s original purpose was fire protection and rescue services but has grown into providing many other services. The department provides auto extraction and responds to hazardous materials incidents, farm accidents, water rescues, and urban confined space search and rescue. In 2016 the department was certified by the State of Indiana as a Basic Life Support Non-Transport Medical First Responder agency. The department has six Emergency Medical Technicians and three Advanced Medical Technicians.

The fire department has a long history of providing fire education services at the local elementary school, Head Start and at several day care centers. It also gives out free smoke detectors to any citizen who cannot afford one and will assist in installing it. The department provides assistance to all local organizations within our community. The department has a Fire Cadet Program: any person between the ages of 15 and 18 can become a member, if qualified. Cadets will learn: basics of firefighting and, once they turn 18, can become a full member of the department.