The Hyattstown Volunteer Fire Department's first Annual Carnival was held in 1929.  When the Auxiliary was formed in 1948, the Department offered every Auxiliary member a place to work, and we also had our own fund raising stand.  In 1980, we bought a small portable building to use for our Carnival sales.  We sold ice cream and raffled many items; such as: lawn furniture, tape player, freezer, CB Base Station, outside grill, table lamps, gift certificates, Grandfather clock, gift certificates, microwave oven -- a country ham was always the second prize drawing.

The Auxiliary's Annual Strawberry Festival was the major fundraiser for about twenty years, beginning about 1948.  The Strawberry Festival was held on the Carnival Grounds in late June or early July.  We sold strawberries and ice cream, sandwiches, coffee, ice tea and sodas.  In later years, platters were added to the menu.  We solicited many businesses for bingo prizes for our afternoon bingo games.  In the late afternoon, either the Browningsville Band or the Poolesville Band entertained at our Festival.  We had softball games at some of the Festivals. 

In 1950, the Auxiliary formed a Junior Auxiliary.  The Junior Auxiliary assisted in fund raising activities for the Auxiliary and the Fire Department.  Gladys Carlton and Marion Cundiff were the Auxiliary Advisors to the Junior Auxiliary.

In 1952, the Junior Auxiliary and the Auxiliary joined together to form a marching unit.  Shirley Burdette Rivers was the chairman of the Marching Unit.  The Marching Unit wrote its own set of rules covering uniform compliance, behavior procedures, and attendance requirements. Wesley "Bud" Rivers was the drill leader for the Marching Unit.  The members acted in plays to raise money to help pay for uniforms.  They performed on the stage in the firehouse where the kitchen is now located.

The Marching Unit consisted of an average of 21members in addition to two banner carriers.  In later years, flag and gun carriers were added, forming our very proud color guard.  The Marching Unit practiced its drill procedures several hours each week. 

Marching in parades led to other competitions.  The annual Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association sponsored ladies' auxiliary hookup teams, tug-of-war, and bucket brigade contests.  We entered many of these contests and proudly display the trophies we won.  Our history books have lots of pictures of our members marching in parades, and also of our hookup, tug-of-war, and bucket brigade teams.

In 1956, the Junior Auxiliary and the Ladies Auxiliary merged into one Auxiliary. The elected officers were: President, Carole Edwards; Vice President, Rebecca Price, Secretary, Barbara Brandenburg; Corresponding Secretary, Janet Wiles; Treasurer, Francis Edwards.  The following elected officer positions have been added: Corresponding Secretary, 1957; Chaplain, 1975; Director to the Fire Department's Board of Directors, 1992; Assistant Chaplain, 1993, and Assistant Treasurer in 1999.

In 1957, our Auxiliary joined the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association's Auxiliary.  We believe there was a break in our membership for some years; minutes do not reflect dates.   Mary Burgee, Peggy Webb, and Carol Hawes have served as president of the County Auxiliary, and Jane May, Peggy Webb, Elsie Hayden, Cathy Sadler, and Carol Hayden has served as secretary and/or treasurer.  Peggy Webb was the first woman inducted into the Montgomery County Association's Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 1964, our Auxiliary joined the Maryland State Firemen's Association's Ladies’ Auxiliary, and we have been an active member in the State Auxiliary since that time.  Peggy Webb served as Chairman of the State Auxiliary’s Fire Prevention Committee for six years and as a member of that Committee for over 30 years.  In 2000-2001, Peggy Webb was elected to the position of President of the State Auxiliary.  In 2004, Carol Hayden was elected as Color Bearer. 

The Auxiliary members work very hard to raise funds in support of our volunteer services.  We catered banquets for bowling leagues, holiday parties, and wedding receptions.  We sold many types of products for profit, such as: handmade clowns, granny dolls, glasses and pitchers, portraits, stainless steel cutlery, food flavors, two-year calendars, Yuriko foods, and sponsored various 50/50 and prize raffles.  In 1974, the Auxiliary voted to use all of their fund raising profits for the improvements of the Station’s upstairs hall.  With many hard hours of donated labor by many members of the fire department, the kitchen was moved from the front of the Station to the back. We hired a contractor to drop the ceiling in the hall and an acoustic ceiling and new lighting were installed.  Everything was built to code and passed all inspections. 

 In 1983, the Auxiliary began holding weekly bingo games at the Station Hall every Sunday, except Esther and Christmas.  Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and games begin at 4:00 p.m.  Our kitchen workers provide homemade cooking, which has always been popular with our bingo players.  After a slow beginning, our bingo is now a great success.  We now have a computerized bingo machine and television monitors to verify the winning cards.

In 1984 (since our goals had been met for enhancement of the hall, and our bingo games are profitable), we voted to help the Fire Department pay for volunteer-owned equipment.   So, we began this effort by giving the Fire Department $9,333 in cash and paid $26,000 on the loan for Engine # 93.  The Fire Department dedicated Engine # 93 to the Auxiliary.  In 1986, we paid $12,000 towards the purchase of a utility truck.

In 1987, we purchased a used step van from the County government, which had been used as a bookmobile, for $1,500, and converted it into a canteen.  Sadly, since demands for the use of the Canteen significantly decreased, the Auxiliary sold the Canteen in 1998.    

From 1987 to 1989 we paid off the Fire Department loan for Rescue Squad 9:  $130,158.

In 1991, we sponsored the Hyettes, a majorette group consisting of our communities' youth.  We donated nearly $3,000 to the Hyettes, and were very proud to watch them perform at local parades.  In 1995, much to our sorrow, the Hyettes merged with another majorette group in Poolesville and are no longer part of our organization

In March 1992, the members of the Auxiliary formed a new organization which was named Hyatt Recreation, Incorporated.  Hyatt Recreation was approved for record by the Statement of Maryland's Department of Assessment and Taxation, and received non-profit status as well as Montgomery County tax exemption.  The purpose of this Corporation is to own and manage the property located at 15019 Hyattstown Mill Road and its two adjacent parcels for the Fire Department’s use, other nonprofit organizations' use within the Hyattstown community. The settlement date for purchase the property was March 16, 1992; cost, $50,000.     

The Fire Department upgrades on the Hyatt property include converting the two-bedroom house and one-car garage into handicap assessable offices and storage areas; installing vinyl siding on the house and garage; purchases used office furniture for both buildings; constructing a 40’ x 60’ Utility Building (referred to as the Morton Building) to provide housing for the engine tanker and rescue tanker and much needed storage space for supplies and small equipment; and paving the lane in front of the Moron Building.   The Auxiliary paid over $150,000 for all of these projects.  

In 1999, the Auxiliary paid $95,000 towards installation of an elevator in the back of the Station.  The Fire Department also contributed by obtaining a State grant of $38,000 to pay the total cost of $133,000 for the elevator. 

In 2002, we purchased life pack equipment including a storage cabinet, defibrillator, medical equipment, and supplies for $21,000.  This lifesaving equipment is carried on our emergency response equipment.

In 2003, we donated $50,000.00 to the Fire Department to pay towards the Fire Department’s 3,500 gallon 2002 Rescue Tanker.  No tax money was used to pay for this $300,000 apparatus!  We are very proud that our Department was able to pay for this Tanker by using all volunteer funding.

Fire Prevention ¾ Since the 1960's, our Auxiliary has been very active in fire prevention programs in Hyattstown and vicinity, and in the County and State. In 1977, we were proud to crown Cheryl Hawse as our Miss Fire Prevention. Peggy Webb served for five years as chairman of the State Auxiliary's Fire Prevention Committee, and for the past 17 years has published a fire and life safety newsletter, "Siren Silencer", which is distributed statewide. For 20 years, she served as the editor of the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association’s Fire Prevention Newsletter; renamed Safetyline Signals was published quarterly.  Safetyline Signals was circulated to all fire/rescue services and homeowners' associations in Montgomery County, and many of the articles were then copied into their newsletters.

From1983 to 1989, our Auxiliary sponsored a skit using Sesame Street Puppets.  The program was presented to head-start classes, at block parties and birthday parties, elementary schools, and at the Hyattstown and Germantown Stations.   The following messages were presented to hundreds of children:  (1) Plan your escape;(2) Give matches to a grownup, (3) Put cold water on burns; (4) Stop, drop, and roll; (5) If an emergency occurs, how to dial 9–1–1; (6) Firefighters are your friends; (7) Smoke detectors; and (8) Crawl low under smoke.

Through the years, we built four floats using fire prevention themes, including messages on flammable fabrics, smoke detectors, forest and campfire safety, and safety for children.  Our floats won first and second prizes in the parades we entered, including Labor Day at Gaithersburg, County conventions, fire company’s parades, and we entered one of our floats to Ocean City for the State Firemen's Convention.

Since 1995, Peggy Webb has served on the State of Maryland’s Governor’s Committee for Visual Smoke Alarms for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.  With the guidance of Fire Department member Fletcher Whitworth, she maintains a database over 1,900 deaf and hard of hearing people within the State of Maryland who have requested, and/or received these specialized alarms.  A copy of the application for one of these visual alarms can be found through e-mail: www.MSFA.org and then click on “Smoke alarms for deaf and hard of hearing people.”

Charitable Causes ¾ Through the years, our Auxiliary has contributed to many worthy charitable causes.  For example: at Thanksgiving and Christmas we often give needy families turkeys, hams, and other foods, in addition to money when we are aware of the need.  The Clarksburg Civic Association and local churches have called our attention to some of these needs.  We have also contributed to the following organizations: Hawthorne Liver Fund, the smoke alarm program for deaf and hard of hearing people, annually to the Maryland State Firemen's Association's Ladies Auxiliary's Bessie Marshall Benefit fund, the Maryland Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial Foundation ($600), the National Fallen Firefighters’ Foundation ($1,000 in support of the many firemen who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City), the American Diabetes Fund, the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, a VCR to Shady Grove Hospital’s Oncology Center, and provide community high school and college students support for their requested programs.