About Us

The Amherst Fire Department was founded in 1917 after a lumberyard fire in which Lynchburg had to come to extinguish the fire. While JP Cunningham is considered the founder of Amherst Fire Department, it was the community as a whole who helped to start it. 

JP Cunningham was the first chief of the department; he was considered the perfect candidate since he was a firefighter in Hampton for 30 years. 

In the 1920s, the town instituted a municipal water system that provided water for the town as well as hydrants. The town also taxed personal vehicles, and the revenue from the tax went to fund the fire department. 

In the late 1920 members by hand built the first fire station, which was located on Main Street. At this point, the department also acquired its first motorized piece of apparatus, which they purchased secondhand. After the department got its first motorized apparatus, they began running calls countywide, not just in the town.

 In 1941 the department moved to its second location, the building across the street from the current location. 

In 1963, the department moved into its current location, and in 1995 an addition was added to the station to include room to accommodate 4 other engines.