The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) is a member of the Arlington County Fire & Rescue Association (ACFRA). ACFRA's member companies and affiliates include:

• Arlington Volunteer Fire Department (Company 1)
• Ballston Volunteer Fire Department (Company 2)
• Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department (Company 3)
• Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department (Company 4)
• Jefferson (Crystal City) District Fire Department (Company 5)
• Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (Company 6)
• Fairlington Volunteer Fire Department (Company 7)
• Arlington-Falls Church Volunteer Rescue Squad

Volunteers from the seven companies supplement the career Arlington County Fire Department with personnel resources and apparatus. Upon successful completion of pre-requisite levels of training and certifications, volunteer firefighters and EMTs can ride with career crews on any apparatus they have been signed off to ride, subject to the permission of the station captain at any of the 10 fire stations in Arlington County. In addition, volunteers may staff volunteer-owned ambulances and respond to paged calls for air support truck.

Administratively, CVFD is governed by a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board of Directors, which consists of nine members. The Board members are elected to a two-year term while all other positions are elected annually. CVFD also elects a Chief, Deputy Chief, Captain, and Lieutenant to oversee the organization's operation.

Prospective new members are accepted for a six-month probationary period. During this trial, recruits are expected to demonstrate commitment to the fire department by attending company and association meetings and participate in indoctrination and other pertinent trainings. For more details on different types of membership and requirements, see the Recruitment section.