State Fire Review

The Virginia Fire Services Board will present its review of Spotsylvania’s fire and rescue services at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. County administrator Doug Barnes requested the review in May. The team began in September and finished in late November.  They will give the report to the supervisors Tuesday afternoon.

This review will follow two reviews–one internal and one external–of a fatal fire in February. This report is not expected to mention that fire, when Sandy Hill became unconscious while on the phone with a dispatcher. She died that morning, from smoke inhalation.

The state review looks at the fire and rescue system as a whole and will offer recommendations. If it’s anything like state reports filed in 1989 and 1999, the review will suggest: a single chief over both career and volunteer departments, improved trainings and updated communications systems.

Some of those suggestions are underway, as improvements since the Feb. 5 fire. In October, minimum training standards were put into place and the county has since hired a deputy fire chief. A part-time clerk to help keep track of training records should be hired by the first of the year, said Fire and Rescue Chief Chris Eudailey.

Members of the review team will be at Tuesday’s meeting to answer questions from the supervisors about the report. A work session on the report is scheduled for 3:10 p.m.

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