County Closes Vol. Fire Department

[Roto-Ray]

Dave,

 

Virginia is a state in which the local elected officials have the right to dissolve a volunteer fire department and/or rescue squad.  In order to form, the department must present 20 members to be considered by the Board of Supervisors to receive their charter, and must maintain this staffing and response level.

 

From the Virginia Administrative Code:

§ 27-10. Dissolution of company.

 

Whenever the fire/EMS department of the city, town, or county to which any fire/EMS company belongs shall ascertain that such company has failed, for three months successively, to consist of twenty effective members in the case of a fire company, or ascertain that it has failed for the like period to have or keep in good and serviceable condition, an engine, hose, emergency medical services vehicle and equipment and other proper implements, or the governing body of the county, city or town for any reason deems it advisable, such governing body may dissolve the company.

 

(Code 1919, § 3136; 1970, c. 187; 2001, c. 142.)

 

The volunteer fire & rescue departments operate at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors exclusively.

 

In recent memory:

 

• 2009 - Prince William County dissolves the Gainesville District Volunteer Fire Department (Companies 4 & 24) for a number of issues, including the fire chief & his family living in the fire station.  PWC Fire & Rescue assumes control of the stations and apparatus.
   
  
  
  
• 2010 - Carroll County begins the process to dissolve the Hillsville Volunteer Rescue Squad (the HVRS will voluntairly dissolve in 2013).
   
  
  
  
• 2011 - After a series of "squabbles" with New Kent County, the Providence Forge Volunteer Rescue Squad elects to no longer respond to calls within the county.  The county appoints New Kent Fire Rescue as the primary EMS agency for the county.
   
  
  
  
• 2012 - Caroline County dissolves the Frog Level Volunteer Rescue Squad for failure to respond to calls.
   
  
  
  
• 2012 - Wythe County dissolves the Speedwell Volunteer Fire Department for not following county-established rules, and after a recruiting drive for all-new members, re-establishes the department a couple of months later.
   
  
  
  
• 2013 - Loudoun County dissolves the Neersville Volunteer Fire Department, as well as their designation "Company 16."  Their replacement fire station, already under construction, will be re-designated "Loudoun Heights Company 26" and will be a career station.
   
  
  
  
• And...just this week, a task force has recommended the dissolvment of another Prince William County volunteer fire department, Coles District (Co 6).  Most likely, the county will assume control of the existing building and apparatus.  A county-funded replacement fire station has already been budgeted and advertised for construction.