Fire chief urges Station 4 and local training center to cut response times; CIP build targeted for 2030
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Summary
Chief Moody told supervisors that Station 4 in the Shiloh district would reduce long first‑response areas and handle over 800 calls per year; he emphasized staffing needs and proposed a county training center to reduce travel to Spotsylvania, with construction for Station 4 projected around 2030 under current CIP assumptions.
Fire-Rescue Chief Moody told the board the county’s current station footprint leaves long response distances and that a new Station 4 in the Shiloh District would split Company 1’s large first-due area (roughly 113 square miles) to shorten response times.
Chief Moody said the proposed Company 4 district currently generates more than 800 calls annually — about 20–25% of the county’s total call volume — and warned supervisors not to build a station without a staffing and apparatus plan. "Unless the county is prepared to add additional employees and personnel, don't build an empty fire station," he said.
He also proposed creating a local fire‑rescue training center to reduce hours staff currently spend traveling to a partner facility in Spotsylvania County. The training center could be developed independently of a station build and may attract partners and grants, but Chief Moody cautioned that leaving the Spotsylvania partnership would carry trade-offs the county needs to evaluate (including how to handle its 33% stake and $6,000 annual dues).
Under the current CIP timeline discussed at the meeting, design funding for the project was projected in FY29 with construction potentially starting around 2030, making Station 4 a longer-term priority linked to staffing plans.
What's next: Staff and the chief will continue to refine design, staffing and funding timelines and assess grant options for a training facility while the board considers placement on the CIP schedule.
Why it matters: Reduced response times can materially affect outcomes for medical and fire emergencies; however, new stations carry ongoing personnel costs that must be funded before construction.