The January Business of the Month is the Orange Volunteer Fire Company
Orange Volunteer Fire Company is celebrating a 100 year anniversary today! We greatly appreciate your hard work and dedication to the citizens of Orange County. Congratulations!
Pictured are Deanne Marshall - OCCC Executive Director and Fire Chief Whit Jacobs.
OVFC celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 24, 2021
OVFC History
After a devastating fire in 1908 that burned the majority of Main Street in Orange, citizens in the Town formed the Orange Volunteer Fire Company under leadership led by Dr. E H Rouse. Dr. Rouse and Mayor A.J. Harlow saw the benefit of a Town fire department and worked to form the department on January 24, 1921. The original department was built in a small building that was located behind the Orange County Courthouse. By 1938, Dr. Rouse and the fire department made a move to Main Street and built a brand new station at the intersection of Belleview Avenue and Main Street in Town. That building still stands to this day and has served multiple different businesses in Orange. The fire company remained on Main Street until 1984 when the current facility was built to house our needs for the future. Since our founding, our department has been served by 11 Fire Chiefs and hundreds upon hundreds of loyal members who have put every effort of their time and energy into maintaining Orange as a safe and secure community.
Fire Chief Whit Jacobs Mission and Vision Statement
Mission
The Mission of the Orange Volunteer Fire Company is to preserve life and property through emergency response, public education, organizational preparedness, and planning.
Vision
My vision for the Orange Volunteer Fire Company is to remain relevant, vigilant and prepared.
We must be relevant with our community and find ways to become involved and a part of our community. Our involvement will provide our community with trust in their fire department but it will give us a platform to teach mitigation and prevention practices that save lives and property.
We must remain vigilant. Our department makes every effort to utilize tax payer dollars to purchase equipment that makes our efforts more effective. We create rules, policies and guidelines that steer our fire department towards resolving every emergency. Our firefighters work tirelessly each month to train and hone their skills which has led our department to receive recognition locally, statewide and across the nation.
We must remain prepared. Preparedness requires forethought and thinking towards the future. We will never be prepared if we don't think towards the future. Our fire department honors our past and takes in pride in the efforts that built our very foundation; however, we recognize that change will ultimately lead our fire department towards becoming better and stronger. We continue to explore changes in the way that we operate that will bring in new membership and help build our fire department to continue protecting those that live within and visit our community each and every day.
205 Caroline Street,
Orange, VA 22960
(540) 672-1414