Station 14 serves Brooklandville and the surrounding communities in Baltimore County, Maryland.
In 1962, citizens and county officials agreed on the need for a fire station in Brooklandville when a tragic fire claimed the lives of four children in the Poland family. The fire, at Old Court Road and Greenspring Avenue, split the Pikesville and Towson fire districts. Eventually, three people were convicted of arson in connection with this fire.
On January 15, 1966, Brooklandville Station 14 opened on Falls Road near Old Court Road. Engine 14 (a 1951 Mack model L85F) and Ambulance 14 were placed into service by Battalion Chief Merrymen. The engine, now known as refurbished Engine 5, is used in many parades and musters.
According to the station ledger, Station 14's first call was a brush fire at Falls Road and Shoemaker Avenue.
On a lighter note, the ledger notes that the station's first candy machine was delivered on January 16, 1966, one day after the station opened.
In the 1960s, personnel were allowed time off for civil defense training. Station 14, a designated fallout shelter, still shows signs of the Cold War era. Crew members have found sealed cans of hard candy which, after being emptied, could be used as a toilets.
Station 14 houses the county's Hazardous Materials Unit. The HazMat Team was formed by then-Battalion Chief Edward Crooks. In 1981, officials placed old Engine 41 in service. This 1965 Seagrave was used by hazmat crews to respond to calls.
Today, the team responds with a 1989 Salisbury hazmat unit and a 2002 Freightliner foam unit.
Major fires in the Brooklandville area have included the St. Paul’s School and the Rockland Bleach and Dye Works. This particular facility was infamous for multiple fires until it was demolished in the mid-1970s.
Station 14's hazmat team participated in the Amtrak train derailment in 1987, the Stealth Fighter plane crash in 1997, and the gasoline tanker crash and fire on I-95 in 2003. Post 9/11, the hazmat team has been working hard to keep up with advancing technology designed to thwart the threat of terrorism.
One of the best- known members of Station 14 is FF/Paramedic John McCruden. He was widely known for his Irish heritage, playing the bag pipes for line-of-duty funerals, memorial services and parades. Upon his death, refurbished Engine 5 (originally Engine 14) carried John to his final resting place.
Thistle the Dog became the mascot for Station 14 and was well loved. Thistle was Battalion Chief Abe Light’s favorite dog. Rumor has it that if you didn’t like Thistle you would not be assigned to Station 14 for very long.
| 
|
Engine 14 | Haz Mat 114 |
| 
|
Foam Unit 14 | Brush 14 |
|
| Medic 14 |
Revised May 10 , 2007
Courthouse 