WESTERNPORT — Organized on Sept. 15, 1912, by eight companies, Frostburg, Mount Savage, Chapel Hill, Cumberland Hose, GoodWill-Lonaconing, Midland, Tri Towns and Potomac No. 2, the local fire and rescue association was originally known as the Allegany County Association.
Peter McFarland, GoodWill-Lonaconing, served as the first president, and to date, 86 men and women representing 28 departments in the two-county area have followed in his footsteps.
In order to strengthen and unify the voice of the firefighters of Allegany and Garrett County, the Allegany County Association and the Garrett County Association joined together to form the Allegany-Garrett Counties Volunteer Firemen’s Association on Aug. 14, 1930.
As a result of the growth of the association over the years, the organization formally changed its name to the Allegany-Garrett Counties Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association on June 2, 1990.
Today, the association represents 36 companies, 24 from Allegany County and 12 from Garrett County.
Over the years, this association has hosted the Maryland State Firemen’s Association twice, 1951 and again in 1955.
Eight members of the Allegany-Garrett Counties Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association have led the MSFA, including John Stump, Cumberland, 1898; Peter McFarland, GoodWill-Lonaconing, 1908; Conrad Herpick, Cumberland, 1919; James McAlpine, GoodWill-Lonaconing, 1922; Cromwell Zembower, LaVale, 1951; David E. Kirk, Bowling Green, 1953; Robert Shimer, Potomac No. 2, 1988; and Robert E. Knippenburg, Midland, 1998.
The local association provided the MSFA with eight treasurers that covered a span of almost 100 years, from 1908-2003. William Wilson, Midland, served a tenure of 30 years from 1945-1975, followed by David E. Kirk, 1975-1990; Bob Saville, Bowling Green, 1990-2001; and John Shuhart, Barton, 2001-2003.
J. Francis Fatkin served a 26-year tenure on the MSFA Board of Trustees. Robert H. Shimer, Potomac No. 2, served eight, including two as chairman of the trustees, and Robert E. Knippenburg was appointed to Board of Trustees upon the death of Shimer in 2003, for the remainder of his unexpired term.
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