In November 2025, the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company (PCVFC) donated its former Engine 103, a 1989 Pierce Lance fire engine with over three decades of service, to the Worcester County Department of Emergency Services. The donation provides Worcester County with a dedicated reserve fire engine and a permanent training apparatus for use at the Worcester County Fire Training Center.
According to PCVFC President Adam M. Howard, Engine 103 was retired from frontline service due to its age and in order to comply with Worcester County Resolution 17-5, which requires the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company to maintain at least one pumper less than 20 years old. While Engine 103 has been removed from active response in Pocomoke City, it remains fully functional and suitable for training and reserve deployment.
Howard noted that Engine 102, currently the first-out engine for Pocomoke City, will reach its 29th year of service in the coming months. To ensure continued compliance with county requirements and maintain reliable fire protection for the community, PCVFC entered into a contract with Pierce Manufacturing in 2024 for the construction of a new Engine 103. Delivery and placement into service of the new apparatus are anticipated in 2026–2027.
“Once in service, the new engine is expected to provide dependable protection for the citizens of Pocomoke and the surrounding areas for the next 30 years or more,” Howard wrote in a statement outlining the donation.
Worcester County Emergency Services Director Chris Shaffer detailed the operational and educational benefits of placing the donated engine at the County Emergency Services and Fire Marshal’s Training Center.
Shaffer explained that firefighter training programs, including Firefighter I and Firefighter II, currently rely on volunteer fire companies to provide apparatus and qualified operators. This arrangement, he wrote, often results in scheduling conflicts, staffing challenges, and last-minute class cancellations.
“A permanently assigned, fully equipped engine eliminates these challenges,” Shaffer stated, adding that instructors would be fully trained on the apparatus and able to conduct classes without impacting frontline response capabilities across the county.
Shaffer also noted that a dedicated training engine would improve instructional quality and efficiency, particularly for classes made up of students from multiple volunteer departments. With the apparatus stationed on-site, instructors can adhere to published curricula and conduct hands-on evolutions whenever classes are in session.
In addition to its training role, the engine will serve as a countywide reserve apparatus. Shaffer wrote that the engine can be deployed to any department experiencing a frontline unit outage due to mechanical failure, accident, or extended maintenance, reducing reliance on mutual aid or rental equipment.
“In summary,” Shaffer concluded, “acquiring and assigning this engine to the Training Center directly supports recruit and incumbent firefighter development, reduces the operational burden on our volunteer companies, eliminates recurring scheduling and cancellation issues, and provides a valuable reserve asset for the entire county — all at minimal ongoing cost.”
Disclosure: The author is a member of the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent the official positions of the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company.
