History of the Maltese Cross

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Located in Hamden Ohio in the beautiful hills of Southeast Ohio we are a total Volunteer Department that provides primary fire protection for a 68 square mile area with a population of approximately 2400 residents, that encompasses the Village of Hamden, the Southern three fourths of Clinton Township and all of Vinton Township in Vinton County as well as the Eastern part of Washington Township in Jackson County.

We operate out of a new 4 bay station located in the center of the Village of Hamden at 100 Wilkesville St. (State Route 160) While we do receive some tax based support, our main source of income comes from the Hamden Firefighters Association, a non profit organization that operates a weekly bingo game every Thursday night at the Hamden Firefighters Community Building also located on Railroad Street in Hamden.

Please take time to look at the links at the left and learn a little more about us.

Effective September 1, 2005 Vinton County Fire and EMS Responders switched to a new County-wide radio designation system in order to facilitate better radio communications. Below is  a list of the new designations:

Apparatus will have the designator of  1-20 (example: 2304 is Hamden Engine H-4)  while personnel will have the designator of  21 or greater (example: 2321 is Hamden Chief) The designator 21 is always the Agency Chief.

From Chief Jim Beckner:

The role of the volunteer firefighter throughout the country has been changing daily, with new federal, state and local mandates. The volunteer firefighter of today must be willing to make these changes, to grow with his or her department.

The dangers to the volunteer firefighter are no greater or less then that of the professional firefighter. We must be willing to make the changes and upgrade our skills
at every opportunity to maintain our professionalism as volunteers.

For those who wish to join us, I thank you ahead of time for your dedication to the volunteer service. The time and effort you put in training and all the other Department activities will never end until you retire from the service. The expert firefighter is always smart enough to know to always ask the questions.