Fire Departments
Fire Departments
Fire Departments in Burke, Vermont
The East Burke Volunteer Fire Brigade
East Burke Vol. Fire Brigade
PO Box 203
East Burke VT 05832
During the calendar year of 2025, we surpassed our previous annual incident record for the 3rd year in a row, operating at 115 dispatched incidents. This involved emergencies in East Burke, calls for mutual aid to assist neighboring towns, multiple remote rescues, and medical incidents that we assist Lyndon Rescue with such as CPR in progress. We also assisted emergency management coordinating state level swift water teams to the Burke area, with 8 incidents in 4 hours at what has become an annual flooding/natural disaster event to affect our area.
2025 response statistics: Dispatch to first apparatus responding: 8:53
Dispatch to first apparatus arriving on scene: 13:13
Average number of members responding per incident: 6
Average time on scene: 58:22
The department currently has 21 members serving who participated in a combined 544 hours of training in the past year. This includes in-house monthly trainings and state level certifications such as VT Fire Academy FF1 & FF2 that require over 140 hours of involvement.
Our incident record proves a silent testament to the growth of our town when comparing early 2000 era call volume of 35 annual incidents for the same coverage area. This increase in incidents unknowingly taxes our emergency infrastructure, equipment and apparatus. This proved true this past year, with our main response fire engine suffering catastrophic mechanical failure during a “routine” incident. In addition, we experienced issues with several pieces of vital equipment. We face a constant battle to maintain a careful balance between fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers and providing safe, modern equipment for essential services.
In the year 2026, East Burke Vol. Fire Brigade will be requesting a $50,000 appropriation from the town of Burke. This will provide us with the ability to continue operation, as well as purchase modern gear and equipment, and provide training, for the safety of our volunteers.
Also, it will help enable us to provide much needed maintenance of our trucks and current equipment, again for the safety of our volunteers and to be able to provide emergency responses to our community.
Thank You, we look forward to our continued relationship together of service to the community.
Chief Joshua M. Willey
Assistant Chief James P. Hinman
The West Burke Volunteer Fire Department
As we start a new year, we want to take a moment to thank our dedicated volunteers for all they do. Not only did we respond to 89 calls for service (our most ever), our 100% volunteer members spent time meeting every other week, training, doing equipment and building maintenance, participating in public events and helping the local road crew and community members navigate another summer of catastrophic flooding.
We also want to thank the taxpayers of Burke for supporting our budget, which covers our expenses, but unfortunately will not completely cover major repairs or large equipment replacement as our partners on the other side of town are dealing with now. Grants aren’t as accessible now so if it is ever brought to voters to replace a truck, please keep in mind it will only be if it is absolutely necessary. And speaking of the other side of town. We can’t thank the East Burke Fire Brigade enough for all the help throughout the year, as well as all the agencies and our great Dispatchers.
If becoming a volunteer firefighter sounds like something you are interested in, please reach out.
Happy New Year from all of our Officers and Members.
Thank you for your continued support,
Tom Villeneuve, Fire Chief
Steve Parker II, Assistant Chief
Call Breakdown:
Fires (structure & chimney) – 9
Motor vehicle accidents – 19
Alarm activations – 26
Grass/wildland – 9
Medical assists – 12
Tree/power lines down – 6
Investigations – 3
Service calls – 2
Station coverage – 1
Vehicle fires - 2
