History
In 2010, Berkeley County hired four full-time firefighters, operating as Station 90, to provide 12-hour coverage – Monday thru Friday - for the county. The original career Berkeley County firefighters were; Eddie Gochenour, Thomas Newcomb, Daniel Petry and Martin Roberts.
- 2011: BCFD personnel were stationed 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at Bedington, South Berkeley, Baker Heights, Back Creek Valley, and Hedgesville volunteer fire stations.
- 2019: Baker Heights Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a SAFER grant and career fire protection coverage was expanded to 24 hours, 7 days a week. Berkeley County career firefighters utilize the fire apparatus of the volunteer departments and work side-by-side with the members of the volunteer firefighters in the county.
- 2022: The West Virginia Fire Commission recognized the Berkeley County Fire Department as the first county Certified Recognized Fire Department within the state. Chief Roberts worked with county leaders and the State Fire Commission to bring this significant milestone to fruition.
- July 1, 2025: Fifteen new firefighters officially join the ranks of the fire department, enabling 24-hour/7-day a week career coverage countywide – at all five volunteer fire stations.
Today, the Berkeley County Fire Department, comprised of 38 full-time personnel responds to more than 1,800 calls annually, including fire, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials incidents, swift water rescues, public safety hazards, and mutual aid calls to neighboring Jefferson and Morgan counties and City of Martinsburg in West Virginia, Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland and Frederick County in Virginia.