The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company provides volunteer fire and rescue services to the communities of Oak Orchard, Riverdale, Long Neck, Warwick, Indian Mission, Rosedale Beach, Gull Point, Frames Point, Whits Point, White House Beach and other surrounding areas. We have been providing our community and residents with volunteer fire service, diligence and dedication since 1953.

Our fire district is located within a few minutes east of the town limits of Millsboro and west of the town limits of Rehoboth Beach, and encompasses a large unincorporated, rural area of southern Sussex County.

Our communities are rich in tradition and heritage which attracted many of the first inhabitants, settlers and pioneers to this region which included the Nanticoke Indians. (See Nanticoke Indians at www.NanticokeIndians.org) Today, our communities host a population of approximately 8,500 year round residents among many diverse communities; however, the summer months our population expands to approximately 30,000 people each weekend, most of whom come to enjoy the recreational boating and fishing, as well as hunting, during the in-season, and other activities within our immediate region. Our primary corporate objective is to assist and protect the citizenry of our immediate community during times of need, which impacts life or property.

Indian River currently operates two facilities, Oak Orchard and Long Neck. Our members are volunteers who contribute their most precious resource - their time to respond to emergencies in your neighborhood. Our firefighters respond to many types of incidents including fire suppression, fire prevention, vehicle and vessel mishaps, tidal flooding conditions, building collapse and medical assist incidents. Our firefighters undergo many hours of intense training in order to accommodate the demands of an emergency incident. Our organization is built upon many attributes that we believe is an integral part of our membership in the volunteer fire service. These attributes are integrity, stability, continuity, independence and excellence. These attributes are paramount to our continued existence. Indian River is proud of its historical heritage and intends this passage to acknowledge our gratitude and appreciation to our residential communities and their residents, our volunteers and their families, our friends and their neighbors, our corporate partners, as well as our neighboring volunteer fire companies and their families for extending tremendous amount of support and hospitality while shaping our past and creating our future.

In 1953, various residents of the Oak Orchard-Long Neck area became concerned about the traveling distance that other fire companies incurred while traveling from the nearest towns of Millsboro, Rehoboth and Lewes. This traveling distance required substantial response times for fire apparatus and other emergency service personnel during periods of need. This extended wait period at the scene of unfortunate incident was the motivating criteria for the local residents to pursue the formation of a new fire company to serve Oak Orchard, Riverdale, Rosedale and Long Neck communities.

Many community members, desirous to be volunteer firemen, donated their time, money and resources to form this volunteer fire company. The first meeting of the proposed organization was held at the Indian River Hotel, a very popular entertainment place located on the waterfront in Oak Orchard at the time. Thereafter, regular meetings were held at various gathering places in the immediate area of Oak Orchard. In March of 1953, a formation committee filed information with the Delaware Secretary of State to be recognized as a legal corporate entity within the State of Delaware. The required filing fees of $21 were paid and this was the first check ever written by the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. Granville Hastings was elected our first fire chief and Raymond Trice was elected our fire company president.

While meeting at Short's Garage on River Road, a fire broke out in a nearby residence and the persons in attendance formed a bucket brigade and retrieved water from the Indian River bay. This fire was extinguished without any assistance from nearby fire companies.

Apparatus Acquisitions

In April of 1953, the fire company exercised a $50 option to acquire land from Margaret Phillips for $700 and approved the acquisition of a 1946 Dodge truck from C. D. Sapp to operate as a water wagon with the water tank being purchased from the Pure Oil Company for $1. This was the first piece of apparatus acquired and operated by the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company. The second fire truck, a 1926 Reo Fire Truck, was acquired from Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company for $2 in May 1953. The third truck, a 1942 Chevrolet Truck, was financed in August 1953 by offering $300 down and $35 per month for 30 months. By 2006, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company housed and operated five Class A Engine/Pumpers; three vessels; two brush trucks; two utility vehicles; one 6,000 gallon tanker; a rescue unit; a ladder truck; a command vehicle; and a chief's car.

Facility Construction and Acquisition

In 1953 and 1954, the formation committee held meetings at Curt Spicer's Store, immediately south of the current location in Oak Orchard. The first building used to house a fire truck was located on River Road across from Jack Birl's residence nearby the marshy area between Oak Orchard and Riverdale. The building was a wooded garage that was relocated to this location.

In 1954, the organization committee borrowed money and built our first new building at the current site in Oak Orchard. The initial building was a 30 x 60 structure that included two engine bays, a kitchen area, and restrooms. John T. Rogers Construction Company built the structure of $6,500 and the building was paid for within two years. The fire company membership raised funds by hosting dinners, pigeon shoots, oyster ears, carnivals, 50-50s, stock car races at Georgetown Speedway, and numerous other activities. During the summer months, commencing with the 4th of July weekend, the fire company members would conduct door-to-door fund drive campaigns and this would function as our corporate fund drive. The average donation was approximately $2 per household.

In 1964, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company expanded by doubling its current facility in Oak Orchard from two engine bays to four engine bays. In 1972, the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company constructed a new facility in Long Neck on land donated by James and Audrey Palmer.

In 1984, additional rooms were constructed to the Oak Orchard facility to include a corporate meeting room, storage area, and a recreation room for members.

Our Long Neck facility was expanded and renovated in 2000 to include additional bay for firefighting apparatus, a membership gathering area, a small kitchen area, as well as some overnight quarters on the second floor. In March 2000, the company authorized negotiations with the Brooks Family for the procurement of the residence and property immediately adjacent to Station #2 on Bank Roads.

In 2002, our Oak Orchard facility expanded again to include a complete structural overhaul, four drive-thru engine bays, a formal reception hall as well as other amenities.

Our Board of Directors continued to monitor neighborhood growth patterns and encouraged the volunteer firemen to authorize the acquisition of adjacent residential parcels in Oak Orchard and Long Neck for future expansion requirements. In May, 2003, the company authorized negotiations with the Shugard Family for the procurement of the residence and property immediately adjacent to Station #1 on Oak Orchard Road.

In August 2005, the company again authorized the procurement of the Coleman residential property adjacent to the Brooks parcel on Banks Road. In the summer of 2006, the company authorized demolition of ancillary sheds, the residential structure and garage buildings, as well as the tree removal and clearing of Brooks and Coleman properties for preparation of a future facility expansion project. In September 2006, the company authorized the tree removal and clearing of the Shugard Property for the construction of a new 50 x 52 x 16 pole building for the storage of various company vessels, utility vehicles and other ancillary apparatus.

In January 2007, the company authorized the requisition of an architectural firm to continue the renovation design and planning of the Main Station kitchen and bathroom facilities in Oak Orchard. The firm George, Miles & Buhr Architectural and Engineering firm (GMB) was retained for this purpose. During the 2007 calendar year, the extensive demolition and renovation project commenced for the complete restoration of the current bathrooms, kitchen, formerly meeting room and lounge area, as well as the pantry of the Ladies Auxiliary. This project was completed in November 2007 has completely overhauled the bathroom, kitchen and pantry facilities into a comprehensive kitchen environment that will serve the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company extremely well in the future.

The volunteer fire company continues to plan for the construction of enhanced facilities at our Banks Road facility.

Incident Alarm Notification

During the early years of the Indian River Volunteer Fire Company, the community residents were required to contact one of three members at specific locations to report a fire or an emergency incident. These locations could activate the fire company sirens located throughout the fire district. These activation devices were located near Short's Garage on River Road, near Wynikako Avenue and River Road in Riverdale, and one at the fire station in Oak Orchard.

Most of the time these locations had to contact members via telephone to contact firefighters that resided outside of the immediate vicinity of the sirens. In 2005, every firefighter is assigned an individual fire company pager that is alerted via the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center to alert fire companies of emergency incidents within their respective fire districts. Many active volunteer firefighters have hand-held communication devices to ameliorate our operational efficiency.