The Bailey's Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1942. The two-story firehouse stood at the intersection of Route 7 and Columbia Pike and was home to five career and forty volunteer firefighters. Sixty years ago, the operations of the fire department were different than they are today. Since there were not enough career firefighters to staff the station around the clock, the community relied on its volunteers to respond to emergencies. The fire siren would sound and volunteers in the community would stop what they were doing and respond to the calls."


As the population in the area increased, traffic congestion grew as well. Fairfax County decided to build a cloverleaf at the intersection of Route 7 and Columbia Pike where the firehouse stood. In 1974 the Bailey's Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department moved a short distance down Columbia Pike to a new home at 3601 Firehouse Lane. A few years later, Fairfax County began staffing all fire stations with full-time career fighters around the clock. The land, the firehouse, and most of the equipment are still owned and maintained by the Bailey's Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department.

The times and operations of the fire department have changed over the past sixty years, but the dedication and commitment to the Bailey's Crossroads community have not. Today, the Bailey's Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department is the busiest fire station in Fairfax County. The firehouse is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with full-time career firefighters and over forty active volunteers working together as partners to serve our community.