Company 46 History

89 YEARS OF CHARGING THE FLAME

B&W Company 46

The town of Moorefield originally received its charter in 1777 as part of Virginia; the name came from Conrad Moore, who owned the land where the town was formed. The foundation of the Moorefield Volunteer Fire Company 46 took place on March 17, 1934, aimed at protecting the town of Moorefield, West Virginia, and its surrounding area. This small department started operations with a horse-drawn “hose wagon.” Subsequently, the department added a 1934 Seagrave Suburbanite pumper to its fleet, which it still possesses.

Company 46 is currently running an average of 200 calls per year (220 in 2023). The department does not handle any Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls, but they can dispatch the Fighting 46 on different types of calls as required.

Company 46 History "Second to None"

Some fire departments tag themselves with a motto, while others may copy theirs from a historic company. Company 46 is one of the few to actually earned their motto “Second to None” while training with other volunteer and paid fire companies in the 1970s.
“The motto came about when we were fire training in Winchester, Virginia for the National Officer’s exam. We were doing LP training with paid company members from all over Northern Virginia on the Christmas Tree. The technique involved pushing the flame back and allowing the officer to turn the valve off. This has to be perfectly timed, step-by-step, or the whole team may be injured. After our second successful pass, the instructor of the class, Bob Monroe, Chief of Fairfax County, remarked: ‘You might be volunteers, but you’re second to none.’ It was quite the compliment, so we kept it as our motto.” 
Bill Arnold
Former Assistant Chief
Company 46 1980s

Help us to better serve our community today by making a tax-deductible donation to the MVFC. You may also send your donation by mail to 114 Kuykendall Ln., Moorefield, WV 26836. Our dedicated volunteers thank you for your past support and for your consideration in continuing to help in the future; we couldn’t do it without you.