House, barn, and steam mill fires were a tragic fact of life in the early days of Laytonsville. Even so, when a local committee began the work of organizing a town fire department in 1952, they faced long hours of hard work. By July of 1954, the LDVFD had a firehouse and two pumpers. By 1961 they had added ambulance service with fully trained personnel.

Unfortunately, on Feb. 4, 1965, a fire broke out somewhere in the firehouse. Despite the best efforts of local men, there was no way to remove the apparatus inside. Everything was a total loss. Immediately donations of equipment and support streamed in. By 8:00 p.m. that day, the LDVFD was declared back in service by the County Dispatch Center.

The wholehearted response of both the community and the other county fire departments to this misfortune is an important part of the history of our town. A new firehouse was soon constructed at 21400 Laytonsville Road, and the department has grown considerably over the years. After the attacks of 9-11, the LDVFD responded to Ground Zero at the Pentagon and also at Ground Zero in New York.