PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Prince William County plans to take over the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad.
The county’s career fire and rescue division wants to shift the management of the department, located at 13712 Dumfries Road near Independent Hill, to them, officially dissolving the 65-year-old volunteer fire company and forming new hybrid organization in its place.
“Over the past two years, the Fire and Rescue Association conducted numerous processes addressing Cole and we have determined that Coles no longer is able to meet important obligations as fire and rescue department,” said Prince William fire and rescue Chief Kevin McGee.
The chief told the Board of Supervisors, which voted this month to allow the takeover, that the fire company could no longer function on its own and meet could no longer meet certain contractual requirements. McGee assured officials there would be no impact to the county’s current fire and rescue budget following the takeover.
Last year, the volunteer department came under fire after a panel concluded it didn’t follow state fire and rescue policies and couldn’t properly manage its fleet of vehicles.
McGee said his Fire and Rescue Association drew up a plan in August about a merger between the county career department, which staffs fire stations between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays, the volunteers who take watch from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weeknights, on weekends, and on holidays.
That plan has been well liked due, in part, to a provision that will allow the Coles station to keep its volunteer program in place, McGee said. In fact, a sign posted outside the Coles station states the department is still seeking volunteer recruits and that all training is provided.
McGee credited Dale City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Christopher Hool with offering to help train new volunteers who want to serve at the Coles station. The volunteers at Coles will wear uniforms different from their career counterparts, and McGee promised they would have an open seat on fire trucks and ambulances when called into action.
Under the plan, McGee’s department will manage the budget for the Coles station, but Acting Chief David Wood would remain on at the station as a battalion chief.
The volunteers are expected to take a vote to implement on the new plan on Oct. 7, said McGee.
“Today marks a victory for Prince William County and public safety in Prince William County. When I think back to seven or eight years ago, when this board had to make the very difficult decision to shut down and terminate the Gainesville Volunteer Fire Company, we all saw that as an act of desperation… we had ran out of options,” said Prince William County Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe.
The volunteer department in Gainesville was shut down by McGee in 2009 and replaced with career staff after an internal audit of the department found the chief was living in one of the stations.
