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Firefighters urge council to prioritize station repairs, raise health and safety concerns
Summary
The Lynchburg Firefighters Association and its president, Jamie Maxwell, pressed council to fund station repairs and raised health concerns including asbestos and PFAS exposure; council had previously voted to allow Maxwell to speak at the meeting.
At the April 8 meeting of the Lynchburg City Council, the president of the Lynchburg Firefighters Association delivered an emotional public comment urging the council to prioritize repairs and safety upgrades to fire stations and equipment.
Jamie Maxwell, identified in remarks as "president of the Lynchburg Firefighters Association," spoke after council voted earlier in the meeting to add him to the end of the speakers list. That procedural motion to add Maxwell to the speaking order passed by a voice vote recorded in the meeting as "Motion passes 3 2."
Maxwell criticized council priorities and said firefighters were being overlooked for building and equipment investments. He said, "Keep his name out of your mouth during your meetings. His memory doesn't deserve that," in reference to comments made earlier in a work session. Maxwell urged council to redirect a portion of other project funds toward station work, asking rhetorically whether the council could give "15% of each 1 of those so we can redo Fire Station 5 and encapsulate that asbestos that's inside Fire Station Number 8 and Fire Station Number 1." He also said a remodel request for Fire Station 5 was about "$500,000" in his remarks.
Maxwell raised health concerns tied to firefighting gear and building materials, saying "This is killing firefighters" and asserting that firefighters in Lynchburg are working while battling cancer. Maxwell asked the council to provide updated gear and station improvements and said firefighters had documented concerns about PFAS in protective ensembles and asbestos in older stations. He described having brought examples of gear and materials to illustrate the condition but discussed them verbally when visual aids were not permitted.
During Maxwell’s comments there were several points of order and brief interruptions from the dais and from the audience; the mayor and council reminded speakers of public-comment rules about not addressing council members directly. Maxwell and others framed the remarks as pleas for prioritizing health and safety investments for first responders.
Council had no immediate vote in open session to reallocate funds at the meeting; the firefighters’ request and the earlier procedural vote to add Maxwell to the speaking list were recorded in the meeting minutes and will inform follow-up discussions on CIP and maintenance priorities.
Sources: Public-comment remarks and council procedural vote, April 8, 2025 meeting transcript.
