| The North Beach Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate 100 years of service with a Centennial Parade and Muster on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine and will bring together residents, visitors, firefighters, families, and supporters for an afternoon of fun, food, friendship, history, and awards.
The celebration marks a major milestone for the department and honors a century of fire, rescue, and emergency medical service to the Twin Beaches, Calvert County, and lower Anne Arundel County communities.
February 5, 2026, marked the 100th anniversary of the first organization of the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department. On that date in 1926, 39 residents of the town agreed to create an organized volunteer fire department. Of those founding members, 34 joined as active members and five joined as associate members.
The department’s first elected officers included Willard Ward as fire chief, H. R. Sanders as president, Harry J. Tucker as secretary, Oscar Marshall as treasurer, Jacob Delp as assistant chairman, and Samuel Owings Sr. as corresponding secretary. From those humble beginnings, the department continued to grow, received its state charter on August 4, 1926, and evolved into the organization that proudly serves “North Beach and Vicinity” today.
Parade lineup will begin at 1:30 p.m., with the parade scheduled to step off at 3:00 p.m. The parade will feature fire apparatus representing both the department’s history and its modern-day emergency response capabilities, including older equipment and newer apparatus that reflect the evolution of the fire service over the past century.
Following the parade, participating apparatus will continue to the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department fire station, located at 8536 Bayside Road in Chesapeake Beach, for an old-time muster. The muster will provide an opportunity for the public to view fire apparatus, connect with department members, and celebrate the traditions that have shaped the volunteer fire service for generations.
“We are indebted to our founders for their dedication, and we strive to meet the needs of the community with that same commitment to service,” a department spokesperson said. “This Centennial Year is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable citizens who founded the department and the generations of volunteers who have carried that mission forward.”
The North Beach Volunteer Fire Department encourages community members, neighboring fire departments, public safety partners, and fire service supporters to attend and take part in the celebration.
For additional information, contact John Tippett at 301-717-1691 or jtippett@northbeachfire.com.
The department thanks the community for its continued support and invites residents, visitors, and public safety partners to join in celebrating the thin red line of volunteers that stretches from the department’s humble beginnings in a town hall to today’s vibrant public safety organization. |
