Virginia Beach Fire Department: Our History

The Virginia Beach Fire Department traces its origins to 1906, when the Town Council recognized the need to protect a rapidly growing resort community and established an all-volunteer department. For two decades, those volunteers rose to meet every challenge, but it became clear that round-the-clock fire protection required a more permanent solution.

In 1928, the town took its next step by hiring paid firefighters — personnel who also served dual duty as police officers, a practical necessity given the town's limited budget. Working alongside the volunteer companies, this combination system anchored fire protection for Virginia Beach from a single station at 20th Street and Arctic Avenue, while a network of volunteer departments that emerged across Princess Anne County during the 1940s and 1950s extended coverage to surrounding areas.

On January 1, 1963, the Town of Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County merged to form the City of Virginia Beach, bringing together their fire protection resources under a unified department. The volunteer departments retained their local chiefs, and Chief E. B. Bayne was appointed Fire Chief of the Beach Borough Fire Department. On September 1, 1971, Chief Bayne became the first Fire Chief of the consolidated City of Virginia Beach Fire Department, a position he held until his retirement in June 1974.
Chief Bayne's tenure was defined by vision and determination. He focused early efforts on securing the funding needed to transform a largely volunteer system into a modern career fire department — a significant undertaking that required addressing staffing and apparatus needs at existing stations while keeping pace with the city's rapidly expanding residential and commercial development. The volunteer infrastructure inherited from old Princess Anne County proved invaluable during this transition, providing established station locations and equipment that helped sustain service continuity across the young city.

The placement of fire stations has always reflected community need — originally shaped by neighborhood size, volunteer labor availability, land, and the desire to reduce response times. Since the 1963 merger, the department has rebuilt or relocated six stations, rebuilt three others on or adjacent to their original sites, and constructed six new facilities in developing areas of the city. The department now operates from 21 strategically located facilities across Virginia Beach, with remaining stations scheduled for replacement or rehabilitation as funding allows.

From a career staff of 11 in 1963, the department has grown to more than 600 career firefighters, over 40 civilian support staff, and numerous volunteer support team members. Today, the Virginia Beach Fire Department is a full-service, metropolitan-sized organization delivering an all-hazards response that includes fire suppression, emergency management, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, marine operations, fire inspections and investigations, life safety education, training, and safety and wellness programs. The department is also home to Virginia Task Force 2, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team that deploys in response to disasters across the nation.

As a member of the Virginia Beach Emergency Response System, the department provides emergency medical technicians and paramedics who work alongside the Department of Emergency Medical Services to deliver Advanced Life Support to the community.

The Virginia Beach Fire Department has held Accredited Agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) since 2001, earning reaccreditation in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021, and 2026 — a reflection of the department's sustained commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

Today, the Virginia Beach Fire Department stands as a recognized leader at the local, regional, state, and national levels — and remains dedicated to delivering the highest standard of service to the community it protects.