Fire Company 1 is staffed by highly motivated and trained volunteers who provide Fire and EMS services to residents of Powhatan County. Our first due district is 77.4 sq miles with 2393 households and a population of 6939 people as of the 2000 census. 

Powhatan Volunteer Fire Department was originally the Powhatan Emergency Crew, which was established in 1949.  The Emergency Crew provided ambulance service and fire protection. The original building was located behind the Old Sheriff's Office in the courthouse area. One of the first vehicles was a 1935 Ford fire engine. The emergency crew later split and became two separate organizations  Powhatan Volunteer Fire Department Company 1 (central fire company) & Powhatan Volunteer Rescue Squad. During the 1970's Huguenot Vol. Fire Department Co. 2 (southeastern fire company), Macon Vol. Fire Department Co. 3 (southwestern fire company) & Fine Creek Vol. Fire Department Co. 4 (northeastern fire company) were established. The latest fire station to be established in the county was Deep Creek Vol. Fire Department Co.5 (northwestern fire company), which was formed in 1994.

All five of the fire stations and volunteer rescue squad are part of the Powhatan Fire & EMS. As a whole we provide fire and ems services to a population of 27,649 people that span over an area of 272 sq miles as of the 2006 census.  The Powhatan Fire & EMS has a County Chief  (Rick Bucher),  Assistant County Chief (Pat Schoeffel), Assistant County Chief ( Phil Warner) & an office manager (Penny Reams). The Fire Chief's position is full time and both of the Assistant Chief's positions are part-time. All of the fire stations are staffed by volunteers.