The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1952 by members of our community who came together with a desire to help neighbors in their time of need. These special men and women worked hard to build the first Troutville firehouse and to obtain a used fire truck so they could start protecting area homes and businesses from the ravages of fire. The one thing that kept these new volunteers going was the knowledge that they were truly helping their neighbors, and as time went by, the neighbors found they could count on them to be there when the fire whistle blew.

The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department still proudly protects approximately 12,000 people living in an area of 56 square miles. We recently lowered our ISO rating to a 6 during our most recent ISO evaluation. The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department serves Southern Botetourt County in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Our Department runs over 800 fire calls each year and is the busiest fire department in Botetourt County. Our response area includes busy Interstate 81, US Route 11, and US Route 220. The Appalachian Trail runs through the middle of our territory as it winds out of the mountains into the Roanoke Valley and then back up the mountains to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our first run territory is one of the fastest growing areas in Western Virginia and the fastest growing area in the Roanoke Valley.

A lot of things have changed over the years: The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department has went through a couple of fire houses, we have gone from having an old used pumper to new modern fire apparatus, we have gone from having no special firefighting gear to the most up-to-date firefighting gear available. Our run area has changed from mostly farms and single-family homes to subdivisions, large industrial parks, shopping centers, and multifamily dwellings. As you can see, many things have changed since our hometown heroes started the Troutville Volunteer Fire Department over fifty years ago, but the one thing that remains the same is why we are here. We are here to help our neighbors in their time of need.

Whether we are responding to a motor vehicle accident, fighting a fire in a home or business, controlling a hazardous materials incident, fighting a forest or brush fire, assisting the local rescue squad on emergency medical calls or any of the other assortments of calls we respond to, we are always helping our neighbors. Helping our neighbors is why we adopted our “Volunteers, Protecting Your Dreams” slogan a few years ago. So when you see one of our shiny red fire trucks responding to the scene of our next emergency call, remember we are your neighborhood volunteers, helping to protect your dreams.