Chillum-Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department

11/09/2025

The Officers and Members of the Chillum-Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department extend our thoughts and prayers to Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad and to the family and friends of Active Life Member and Past Assistant Chief James "Jimmy' Kiernan.

Chief Kiernan was a great friend, colleague and mentor to so many within the 4th and 6th Battalion. He will be missed by all.

Service Information for past Assistant Chief James “Jimmy” Kiernan is as follows:

Viewing: Sunday November 9th, 2025, 1400-1800 hours, Gausch's Funeral Home, 4739 Baltimore Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20781

Funeral: Monday November 10th, 2025
1100 hours, Gausch's Funeral Home
4739 Baltimore Avenue Hyattsville, MD 20781

Internment: Monday November 10th, 2025 1300 hours, Fort Lincoln Cemetery, 3401 Bladensburg Road Brentwood, MD 20722

Repast: Monday November 10th, 2025
1400-1800 hours, Branchville VFD Heroe’s Hall
4905 Branchville Rd, College Park, MD 20740

06/25/2025

Retired PGFD Fire Fighter and past CAVFD member Tony Exline passed away on June 8, 2025.

Memorial service information posted below.

Please keep the Exline family in your thoughts and prayers.

06/02/2025

On Saturday, May 31st, the CAVFD hosted an annual reunion of volunteer and career members of both Station 34 and 44.

Had a great turnout and was great to see everyone!

See everyone next year!

05/07/2025

We extend our thoughts and prayers to the family of Chief Doc Moltrup and Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, Maryland.

We was a great friend to our department and so many others within the county. He will be missed.

01/12/2025

The Chillum-Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department extends our thoughts and prayers to the family of FF Chris Higgins and the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

It is with profound sadness that we announce the line of duty death (LODD) of Master Firefighter Chris Higgins currently assigned to Fire Station 15 on A-Shift. Chris was operating at a house fire in Prince George’s County on January 11, 2025 when he collapsed. Chris was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased after exhaustive resuscitative efforts.

We thank the Prince George’s County Fire Department for their rapid assessment and treatment of Chris – they formed a cohesive team with members of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. We also thank the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department and District of Columbia Fire Department member who assisted on the scene and to the hospital. Finally, we express gratitude to the fire department personnel from multiple jurisdictions, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police who assisted with the dignified transfer of Chris from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office in Baltimore.

No further information is available, as this is an ongoing investigation. We will post details as they are made available and relevant.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue members, and their families, are encouraged to utilize the peer support resources. Take care of yourselves and each other. /rjf

Edit: we are posting pictures of MFF Higgins in this thread and welcome our followers to do the same. It is our intent that he is remembered for being a firefighter, mentor, and friend.

08/10/2024

Today is the 55th anniversary of the Line of Duty Deaths of F/F Robert J. Harmon and F/F Charles Robert Hobstetter of the Chillum Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department.

Volunteer and Career members of Station 34 visited the site and remembered the sacrifices made that night.

On a hot August night in 1969, a line of violent thunderstorms, with winds in excess of 55 mph, barreled through the MD/DC area, and caused extensive flooding throughout the region. The usually trickling and docile Sligo Creek suddenly turned into a torrent of water with 5-foot swells that caused the creek to crest over the bridge on New Hampshire Avenue and submerge cars within minutes.

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Knowles and their 5-year-old son were in their family car and had just turned off New Hampshire Ave onto Sligo Creek Parkway, when they were hit with rushing flood waters, that came up as high as the car door handles. The raging water swept them and their automobile some two blocks down stream. The three abandoned their car and, with the help of 18-year-old Colin Turner of Takoma Park, the four navigated downstream until they reached, climbed up on, and clung to the railings of the New Hampshire Avenue Bridge.

The Chillum-Adelphi ambulance and ladder were the first units to arrive, and emergency rescue operations got underway with the 3-man team of Robert Harmon, Charles Robert Hobstetter, and Bob Jacobs. Firefighter Robert J. Harmon Jr. and Firefighter Charles Robert Hobstetter were secured with lifelines that were being manned by Firefighter Bob Jacobs. The two firefighters were making their way to the four stranded on the bridge, when suddenly the road collapsed, plunging Firefighter Harmon and Firefighter Hobstetter into the raging water and under the bridge.

Firefighter Harmon, still attached to the lifeline, was pulled from the water by Firefighter Jacobs. Firefighter Harmon was transported to an area hospital in cardiac arrest/drowning, all resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:30 a.m. When the road collapsed, Firefighter Hobstetter became separated from the lifeline. He was swept 1/2 mile downstream, and his body was located at approximately 3 a.m.

Firefighter Robert J. Harmon Jr. was 22 years old and had served 18 months.
Firefighter Charles Robert Hobstetter was 31 years old and had served 8 1/2 years.

Courtesy of the Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial Foundation.

Please take a moment and remember their sacrifices on August 10, 1969.

The link below was a Washington Post article in 1998 on the storm and the incident.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../b0b88c5f-952c-402d.../

02/17/2024

Please keep Firefighter Brown's family, the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company and the Loudoun Fire and Rescue Department in your thoughts and prayers.

The fallen firefighter from last night’s home explosion in Sterling has been identified as Firefighter Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. He has been affiliated with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System since 2016. Please keep Firefighter Brown’s family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, and we ask that the family’s privacy be respected.

As a result of last night’s incident, emergency medical services personnel from Loudoun and Fairfax Counties identified 13 patients in addition to the fatally injured Firefighter Brown. This includes 11 first responders and two civilians with varying degree of injuries. Of the injured first responders, four remain hospitalized at local area hospitals. The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and additional information will be released as available.

Loudoun Career Fire Fighters Association - IAFF Local 3756
Volunteering with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System
Sterling Volunteer Fire Company

10/04/2023

The Officers and Members of the Chillum Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department announce the passing of Life Member Sharon Miller on September 26th.

Sharon served the department for many years and served on the Board of Directors, numerous committees and trained many members of the department.

Memorial Service and Mass:

Thursday, October 5th
St. John's Baptist de la Salle
5706 Sargent Road
Chillum, Maryland 20782
10:00 am- 12:00 pm

Burial Immediately after at Fort Lincoln Cemetery.

Please Sharon's family in your thoughts and prayers.

10/03/2023

Memorial Services for Charles "Chuck" Walker, Life Member and Past President of Chillum Adelphi VFD, Past President of the Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association, and Past President of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association.

Service arrangements are as follows:

Date: Friday, October 6, 2023
Location: Branchville VFD
4905 Branchville Road
College Park, MD 20740
Visitation: 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Fire Department Memorial Service beginning at 6:30 PM.

Please keep the Walker family in your thoughts and prayers.

09/30/2023

The Officers and Members of the Chillum Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department announce the passing of Past President and Deputy Chief Charles "Chuck" Walker.

Chuck was a Life Member and served
in many operational and administrative positions within the department and was also Past President of the PGCVFRA and Past President of the Maryland State Fire Association.

Please keep the Walker family in your thoughts and prayers.

08/11/2023

Today is the 54th anniversary of the Line of Duty Deaths of F/F Robert J. Harmon and F/F Charles Robert Hobstetter of the Chillum Adelphi Volunteer Fire Department. Please take a moment and remember their sacrifices on August 10, 1969.

On a hot August night in 1969, a line of violent thunderstorms, with winds in excess of 55 mph, barreled through the MD/DC area, and caused extensive flooding throughout the region. The usually trickling and docile Sligo Creek suddenly turned into a torrent of water with 5-foot swells that caused the creek to crest over the bridge on New Hampshire Avenue and submerge cars within minutes.

Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Knowles and their 5 year old son were in their family car and had just turned off New Hampshire Ave onto Sligo Creek Parkway, when they were hit with rushing flood waters, that came up as high as the car door handles. The raging water swept them and their automobile some two blocks down stream. The three abandoned their car and, with the help of 18-year-old Colin Turner of Takoma Park, the four navigated downstream until they reached, climbed up on, and clung to the railings of the New Hampshire Avenue Bridge.

The Chillum-Adelphi ambulance and hook & ladder were the first units to arrive and emergency rescue operations got underway with the 3-man team of Robert Harmon, Charles Robert Hobstetter, and Bob Jacobs. Firefighter Robert J. Harmon Jr. and Firefighter Charles Robert Hobstetter were secured with lifelines that were being manned by Firefighter Bob Jacobs. The two firefighters were making their way to the four stranded on the bridge, when suddenly the road collapsed, plunging Firefighter Harmon and Firefighter Hobstetter into the raging water and under the bridge.

Firefighter Harmon, still attached to the lifeline, was pulled from the water by Firefighter Jacobs. Firefighter Harmon was transported to an area hospital in cardiac arrest/drowning, all resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:30 a.m. When the road collapsed, Firefighter Hobstetter became separated from the lifeline. He was swept 1/2 mile downstream and his body was located at approximately 3 a.m.

Firefighter Robert J. Harmon Jr. was 22 years old and had served 18 months.
Firefighter Charles Robert Hobstetter was 31 years old and had served 8 1/2 years.

Courtesy of the Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial Foundation.

The link below was a Washington Post article in 1998 on the storm and the incident.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/09/17/honoring-two-firefighters-lost/b0b88c5f-952c-402d-bc7c-8dd080a4fe56/

03/01/2023

Old School Night

All members of Co. 34 & 44 Volunteer and Career are invited.

March 25, 2023

Greenbelt VFD
125 Crescent Rd Greenbelt, MD

Starts at 1800 hr. until ??

There will be a meal and soft drinks, coffee provided.
BYOB if you want

Cost will be $25 per person

Please RSVP by March 15th so I can get a head count for the food to
[email protected]

Hope to see you there !!