Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Commission elects officers, sets 2025 schedule and forwards FY26 budget requests to the board

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission at its January meeting elected officers for 2025, approved a set of meeting dates and voted unanimously to forward its fiscal‑year 2026 budget requests to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

The commission elected Steve Sheela as chairman, Billy Hanks as co‑chairman and Bonnie Rutherford as secretary; nominations were closed and the slate was approved unanimously. The commission also approved a calendar of meeting dates for 2025, generally holding monthly meetings (dates listed during the meeting: Feb. 20, Mar. 20, Apr. 17, May 15, June 26, July 17, Aug. 1, Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Dec. 11).

On the budget, commissioners voted to submit the FY26 requests as presented to the Board of Supervisors. The packet presented recurring additional requests totaling $65,032 and one‑time requests totaling $79,625; the commission noted $8,345 remained undistributed in available funds.

Specific items discussed in the packet included a 2.4% recurring increase requested by Blacksburg Rescue (listed as $3,532) and several rescue‑squad pharmacy and reporting‑module requests. A presenter described recurring pharmacy‑related costs for a squad identified as Home Shop McCoy Rescue — including stock and inventory control module costs — and one‑time initial pharmacy stocking and module setup requests for Long Shot Rescue. The commission discussion noted some of those figures were estimates pending final orders.

The commission also reviewed funding requests for a county special‑operations (special ops) team. Recurring requests included $5,000 for regular maintenance and inspections of scuba equipment and boats, $35,000 to pay for instructor/vendor‑led training courses, and $5,000 for uniforms. One‑time requests for the special‑ops team included approximately $25,000 to replace or buy scuba equipment (including an underwater communications system), $20,000 for rope equipment and $5,000 for initial uniforms.

Commissioners said the onetime and recurring requests reflect operational needs such as restocking controlled‑substance inventories at rescue‑squad pharmacies, maintaining dive and swift‑water gear, and purchasing training mannequins and simulation equipment to support recruitment and training.

A motion to submit the budget packet "as presented" was made, seconded and carried; the meeting record shows the motion carried by voice vote with all members responding "aye." Earlier in the meeting the commission had approved the prior meeting minutes by voice vote.

Those actions will be transmitted to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors for appropriation and further review; the commission’s packet and discussion indicated the county would handle procurement and that final appropriation requires board approval.

(Disclosure: formal motions and vote outcomes are reported from the meeting record; direct quotes in this article come from meeting speakers identified in the minutes.)