Without fail, the Avalon volunteers have stood by during major flooding and storm events, leaving family and loved ones behind often for days at a time, to protect and serve this community.

The quality of the training and espirit de corps of these volunteers was exemplified by the manner in which they responded to a major fire in the early morning hours of December 3, 2003. A condominium complex had caught fire and by the time the chief arrived on the site, two of the seven buildings were engulfed in flames. At the height of the fire, the subfreezing temperatures and high winds placed many adjoining properties at high risk. Stationing their fire equipment in strategic locations, the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department was able to contain the fire from spreading beyond the complex. Calling for back-up support through the Incident Command System, more than one hundred volunteer firefighters from across Cape May County were on the scene. Virtually every Fire Department in the County responded in some way.

All residents of the community have applauded the exemplary manner in which the volunteer of the Avalon Fire Department handled the “largest fire in Cape May County History.”

The Avalon Volunteer Fire Department has been the cornerstone of the community and personification of volunteerism every since it was incorporated in 1910.

In many cases the members are children and grandchildren of the founders. New residents are welcomed and warmly received and made to feel part of the department immediately. While training and response are very serious issues, the live interaction of the members after drills and cleanup from responses keeps volunteerism alive and thriving in this shore community. Even during difficult economic times and periods of low activity the Fire Department has never been short on community support.

The real test of the capability of any fire department, paid or volunteer, is the manner in which it serves its citizens during times of need and crisis.