Commodore Vol. Fire Dept.

08/29/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to 1st Assistant Chief Jim Hopkins III! 🚒
Today we’re wishing a very Happy Birthday to our 1st Assistant Chief, Jim Hopkins III — although depending on who you ask, you may know him better as Jimmy… or Delbert. 😂
Delbert “officially” joined Commodore VFD in September of 2003, but his time around the fire service started long before there was ever a membership application involved. He was pretty much born into it. His grandfather, Jim Hopkins Sr., his father, the late Jim Hopkins Jr., and his uncle, John Hopkins, were all heavily involved in the department from young ages. With that kind of family history, it’s safe to say the fire service has always been in his blood.
Over the years, Jimmy has completed an extensive list of certifications and training and has become one of those members whose knowledge reaches into a little bit of everything. Along with serving as our 1st Assistant Chief, he serves as the Local Emergency Management Coordinator for NEICECA, covering Green, Grant, Banks and Montgomery Townships.
Jimmy is also involved with Team 900 as a drone pilot, putting those skills to work far beyond our immediate area. His drone assignments have taken him from the Cook Forest area to the north, down into Westmoreland County and plenty of places in between. He also flies in support of the Dividing Ridge Wildfire Support Group and has used his experience to help other agencies, including Elkland, get their own drone programs started.
Add Forest Fire Warden, vehicle and machinery rescue, special vehicle rescue, along with an extensive list of other training and certifications, and Jimmy has built quite the résumé throughout his years in the fire and emergency services.
Around the station, Jimmy is also our resident tech guy and 3D-printing pro. If there’s a way to organize something better, simplify a process, make something on a computer, 3D print a part for it, or use technology to make everyone’s life a little easier, chances are Jimmy has already thought of it. A lot of the organization and technology around our department has benefited from his ability to figure things out and find a better way to get things done.
Of course, anyone who knows Jimmy also knows you’re probably going to hear him before you see him. 😂 He can be stern, loud and very direct when something needs done — but there’s usually a good reason behind it. He takes what we do seriously, expects things to be done correctly and safely, and isn’t afraid to make sure everyone knows it.
And that voice has become somewhat of a Firemen’s Convention tradition of its own. When Commodore is competing and it’s time for “WATER!”, Jimmy makes sure there’s absolutely no question about it. 😂 At this point, we’re pretty sure half the surrounding communities know water is coming before the crew at the other end of the course does! If you’ve been around the convention long enough, you know exactly whose voice that is — no radio required.
Behind the volume and the stern side is also someone with a great sense of humor who keeps us laughing and makes “Delbert” one of a kind around the station.
More than 20 years after “officially” joining — and a lifetime after first being introduced to the fire service — Jimmy continues the Hopkins family tradition of service to Commodore and the communities around us.
🚒 Happy Birthday, Jimmy/Delbert! Thank you for the countless hours, knowledge and dedication you continue to give to Commodore VFD and the emergency services. We hope you have a great birthday! 🎂🎉

08/27/2026

🚑 A HUGE THANK YOU TO ROSEBUD MINING! 🚑

We would like to give a very special shout-out and thank you to Cliff Forrest and Rosebud Mining for their generous donation of two ZOLL AEDs, each equipped with a set of adult pads, to Commodore Volunteer Fire Department/QRS 540!

This donation comes at the perfect time as we are currently working to add an additional QRS response vehicle to our state certification, while the AED currently assigned to our second QRS unit is reaching the end of its service life and replacement batteries are no longer available.

With limited manpower, we aren't always able to get our main QRS truck on the road for every vehicle accident/structure fire call. Having additional state-certified response vehicles properly equipped allows our EMS providers to respond directly with the lifesaving equipment they need, no matter which unit is able to get out the door.

An added benefit of these ZOLL AEDs is that they are compatible with the cardiac monitors used by Citizens' Ambulance Service, our primary transporting EMS agency. If our AED pads are already placed on a patient, Citizens' crews can simply disconnect them from our AED and connect them directly to their ZOLL monitor—eliminating the need to remove and replace pads and helping make patient care and transfer as seamless as possible.

AEDs are a vital piece of equipment in cardiac emergencies, and donations like this help us continue providing the best possible care to our patients and our community while helping offset the significant cost of keeping multiple QRS units properly equipped.

Thank you again to Cliff Forrest and everyone at Rosebud Mining for supporting our volunteers, our QRS program, and most importantly, the communities we serve. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! ❤️🚑

08/26/2026

Last night’s training was all about getting some hands-on time with our new Rescue/Engine 542!

With a new truck comes new equipment, different controls, and a few new ways of doing things. Our newer members and veteran members worked together to become more familiar with the truck’s pump controls, levers, and valves while practicing drafting operations.

One of the biggest differences with 542 is that it’s currently our only apparatus equipped with an additional front suction, so we took the opportunity to put it to work and get everyone comfortable using it.

Drafting is an especially important skill for our department. With little to no hydrant coverage throughout much of our response area, pulling water from ponds, creeks, portable tanks, and just about any usable water source we can access is simply a normal part of firefighting for us. When you grow accustomed to operating without hydrants, you learn to make the most of the water sources available to you. Over the years, our members have become very comfortable establishing a draft in a variety of locations and situations because, for us, it’s not the backup plan — it’s often THE PLAN 💦🚒

While hydrant coverage is slowly expanding in our area, it takes time, making these skills just as important today as they’ve always been.

It was a great refresher for our experienced members and a valuable learning opportunity for our newer firefighters. Training nights like this give everyone the chance to learn the new truck, ask questions, and make sure we’re ready to put it to work when it matters.

And we couldn’t complain about the view either — we even caught a pretty good sunset while 542 was hard at work! 🌅🚒

08/24/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to Firefighter Cody Mumau! 🎉

Cody officially joined Commodore VFD in November 2012, but he had a bit of a head start. Growing up around the fire service with his uncle, Fire Chief Mark Riva, it's safe to say the volunteer spirit was instilled in him long before he became a member.

Since joining, Cody has dedicated countless hours to training, earning certifications in Essentials of Firefighting, Firefighter I, Vehicle Rescue, Hazmat Awareness, and drone operations. He also serves as an EMT with our QRS, continuing to expand his knowledge and better serve our community.

Throughout his volunteer fire service career, Cody has served both as a firefighter and as a captain. Outside of the department, he also assists with drone deployments across the county and neighboring counties whenever they're needed as a Part 107 Licensed Drone Pilot. He is also Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for NEICECA (North East Indiana County Emergency Cooperation Agreement) He is also trained as a Prescribed Burn Manager.

Within the station, Cody is the guy we call when something electrical needs figured out, thanks to his education and certifications in electrician. He's also our resident expert when it comes to knots and technical rescue operations, and he's always willing to share that knowledge with the rest of the crew.

We'd also be remiss if we didn't give a shout-out to his wife, whose homemade cupcakes and cakes have become legendary around the station. Let's just say every fundraiser, meeting, or celebration with one of her desserts instantly turns into a "calories don't count today" kind of day! 🧁😂

Cody, thank you for everything you do for our department, our county, and the community. We appreciate your dedication, leadership, and willingness to always lend a hand.

From all of us at Commodore VFD & QRS, we hope you have a fantastic birthday! 🚒🎂

08/24/2026

Patio Heater Tip Board

08/24/2026

We had some unexpected events come up today with our fundraising crew members. We apologize for the inconvenience! We will go live tomorrow!

💥The patio heater is SOLD OUT!!
Here is the list of names and numbers. Any questions with names/numbers please message our page! We'll going live for the number scratch tomorrow around 12pm!
Thank you all for supporting Commodore VFD!

08/23/2026

🔥 WORKING STRUCTURE FIRE – PINEVALE ROAD 🔥

Yesterday at 12:08pm. Commodore VFD was dispatched to assist Marion Center VFD with a reported structure fire at 3678 Pinevale Road. Initial reports indicated a camp fully involved with exposures threatened.

Our engine was the first apparatus to arrive on scene, along with one of our QRS members. Upon arrival, both confirmed a working structure fire with active fire showing from the structure.

Our engine crew quickly went to work on fire attack, with additional manpower arriving on our tanker. Crews were able to make a good initial hit on the fire, slowing its progression. Unfortunately, with the camp located a considerable distance from responding fire stations, the fire had already gained a significant head start before crews could arrive. Due to the small size of the structure and the amount of fire involvement upon arrival, the camp unfortunately was considered a total loss despite a strong effort by all crews on scene.

Along with Marion Center VFD, crews from Rossiter VFD, Glen Campbell VFD, and Clymer VFC assisted on scene. Additional area departments were dispatched as standby units to provide coverage for departments committed to the incident. We greatly appreciate the teamwork from everyone involved and those who helped ensure our surrounding communities remained protected while crews operated.

A special thank you goes to Citizens’ Ambulance Station 40 for providing fire standby and additional assistance throughout the incident. With the very hot and humid temperatures, having EMS personnel available to keep an eye on our firefighters and assist crews was especially important. Firefighting is physically demanding under any conditions, but the heat and humidity add another level of concern. We greatly appreciate Station 40 being there to help keep everyone safe while crews worked.

🚒 TRAINING BECOMES EXPERIENCE

This incident was also an important learning opportunity for several of our newly certified firefighters, as this was their first structure fire where they were able to put their training into practice. Working alongside our more experienced members, they were able to observe fire behavior, practice fireground techniques, and gain valuable hands-on experience in an actual working fire environment.

Classes and training nights build the foundation, but calls like this are where those lessons begin to come together. Every experience helps our newer firefighters, and even veteran ones become more confident, knowledgeable, and prepared for the day when conditions may be more challenging and those skills are needed most.

Great work by everyone involved, and to our EMS partners for the continued teamwork!

08/22/2026

💥The patio heater is SOLD OUT!!
Here is the list of names and numbers. Any questions with names/numbers please message our page! We'll going live for the number scratch tomorrow around 12pm!
Thank you all for supporting Commodore VFD!

08/19/2026

💧 Keeping Our Crews Hydrated! 🚒

We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) for providing our department with a generous supply of DripDrop electrolyte hydration packets through their hydration grant program!

We applied for this grant a few months ago and were excited to recently receive these hydration packets for our members. These packets can easily be added to water and will be kept on hand for our crews during fires, training, extended incidents, and other activities—especially during the hot summer months.

Firefighting and other emergency operations can quickly take a toll on the body, and proper hydration is an important part of keeping our volunteers safe and ready to do their job.

Programs like this are a great example of organizations supporting the men and women who volunteer their time to protect their communities.

Thank you, NVFC for supporting the volunteer fire service and helping us take care of our crews! 💧🚒

We also want to give a special thank you to our Treasurer, Mary Beth Bowler, for the time she puts into finding and applying for grant opportunities like this. Her work behind the scenes helps our department offset costs and allows us to continue providing our members with the equipment and resources they need. We greatly appreciate everything she does!

08/18/2026

The Commodore Volunteer Fire Department is excited to annouce that we will be hosting the 2027 Indiana County Fire Chiefs Association Firemans Convention July 14th - July 17th 2027. We will be celebrating our 75th anniversary in 2027 and are thrilled to be hosting the convention as part of that celebration. Keep an eye on our page for more information as we move forward and lock things in. If yo have any suggestions for entertainment feel free to drop them in the comments.

A HUGE shoutout goes out to B & M Seal Coating -Driveway and Parking Lot Seal Coating for their assistance with our preparations by donating time and materials to seal coat the pavement at our Battle of the Barrel rig. It was overdue to be sealed and their donation not only saved the department money, but time as well.