Membership in one of Fairfax County’s 12 volunteer fire and rescue departments means being a part of one of the most respected emergency service organizations in the United States. Every day volunteers are called upon to provide vital service to our community, standing side-by-side with career personnel to save lives, protect property, and forge ties with the community. Volunteering provides you with the opportunity to challenge yourself, build new skills, and become part of a tight-knit volunteer community, all while feeling the rewards of having served a purpose greater than yourself.

To become a volunteer in Fairfax County, you must apply and be accepted for membership in 1 of the 12 volunteer departments. Volunteers can be either operational (participating in fire and rescue activities) or administrative (participating in business operations), with operational volunteers having the option to be Firefighter/EMTs (trained in fire suppression and emergency medical care) or EMS-only providers (trained in emergency medical care). All 12 departments are currently accepting applications for both operational and administrative members, so follow the links on the left to learn more about each type of membership, the application process, the benefits of volunteering, and volunteer requirements, or to contact a department and request information.

Find Your Place

Volunteers come from all walks of life: engineers, homemakers, students, police, scientists, government employees, active and retired servicemembers, consultants, builders, business owners, lawyers, men, women, long-time County residents, and new immigrants. Fairfax County’s fire and rescue volunteers are a diverse in every respect, but we are a close-knit community united by our desire to serve and our pride at being part of the emergency services world. And we are honored to partner with the superb career staff of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.