July 22, 2015

Honorable members of the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors,

The Fauquier County Professional Firefighters express our deepest concern

regarding the injuries firefighters suffered at a structure fire on Sunday, July 19. Our

profession is inherently dangerous and we remain passionate about constantly improving

our system and ourselves to provide the safest environment possible. We have reached

out to the Board of Supervisors, the Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency

Management (DFREM), and the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (VRFA) on

numerous occasions of the past few years. In these requests, we have asked for an

increase in staffing, 24 hour command staff, and a unified rank structure. While we

understand there are economic, financial, and higher prioritized variables out of anyone’s

control, we fear that the potential for further injuries may increase without immediate

action. We firmly believe this is an opportunity for all parties to develop a unified

solution and eradicate at least some risk to our first responders.

Over the past 5 years, every volunteer chief in Fauquier County has requested

staffing to supplement the volunteers. A majority of these requests have been denied or

delayed indefinitely. We currently operate with two career personnel in a station, and at

times, respond to working fire incidents with just those two on fire apparatus when the

national standard is a minimum of 3 per responding piece. Due to the nature of the

volunteer system, there are times when volunteers are unable to respond, resulting in an

understaffed incident. The volunteer chiefs submitted a 5 year staffing plan calling for an

increase in staffing, within two years the plan was abandoned by the board. The lack of

command supervision in our current staffing situation constantly leads to a breakdown in

the chain of command during night and weekend hours. The request has been made to

implement additional battalion chiefs to fill this void, a request that has not been filled.

Sufficient staffing directly effects responder safety, and upon the conclusion of the

investigation of this incident, we encourage every board member to thoroughly evaluate

how emergency responses are staffed and what could be changed to minimize risks.

In recent months, we have made requests that a unified rank structure be

developed and implemented. This rank structure would align the volunteer and career

responders based on certification level and experience. As of right now, every volunteer

organization requires different standards for members and officers than the qualifications

Fauquier Professional Fire Fighters

Local 3762 P.O. BOX 77

Catlett, Va. 20119

career personnel need. A solid minimum standard would provide a concrete

understanding of the capabilities of every member within the fire and rescue system. We

encourage a close look at the benefits of such an action and the health and safety risks

that would be alleviated if implemented.

In light of the recent injuries the firefighters suffered, the reality of the hazards

our jobs entail as well as the obvious risks our system and its shortcomings present, we

feel compelled to publicly request that the aforementioned issues be evaluated

meticulously. With safety concerns higher than ever, we respectfully request the board

preliminary evaluate serious risks and immediately put measures in place to resolve them

prior to the conclusion of the extension investigation. Countless concerns and requests

have been made in the past but little action has been made to mitigate these issues. Our

local is available to discuss this with DFREM, the Board of Supervisors, and the VFRA.

Respectfully,

Sam Miller

President

Fauquier County Professional Firefighters

IAFF Local 3762

president@iafflocal3762.org

(540) 327-3768

CC: Fire and Rescue Chief Thomas Billington, Local Media