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Consultant tells Montgomery County to strengthen oversight, data and staffing after fire & rescue assessment
Summary
MissionCIT presented a multi-phase fire and rescue assessment on June 22 recommending stronger systemwide governance, improved data/records management, new staffing models and three candidate station locations; the board asked follow-up questions about funding, a fire marshal and volunteer support.
A consultant team hired to evaluate Montgomery County's fire and rescue services told the Board of Supervisors on June 22 that the county needs stronger strategic oversight, better data collection and new staffing and facility plans to keep pace with rising call volumes.
Frank Edwards, project manager for MissionCIT, presented a final assessment based on site visits, focus groups, agency interviews and CAD dispatch data. The study recorded 210 survey responses from system personnel and 111 citizen responses, and found fire calls up roughly 18% and EMS calls about 19% since 2019. Edwards said data-quality gaps — inconsistent departmental records and dispatch CAD quirks — limited some analysis but did not change the principal recommendations.
"There was governance and oversight issues that needed to be addressed in the system," Edwards said, describing roughly 120 recommendations organized into immediate, intermediate and extended phases. Among the immediate recommendations he listed: enhance strategic oversight by the Fire & Rescue Commission, create subcommittees for recruitment/retention and training, and reduce organizational silos that hamper systemwide policy and safety consistency.
Phase-two recommendations include a county funding-allocation model for towns and volunteer companies, one countywide records-management system, performance standards and a detailed community risk assessment. Phase three calls for identifying future combined fire/EMS stations, improved staffing models, health and wellness programs for personnel, and creation of a county fire marshal and inspection program.
Edwards said GIS scenarios point to three broad candidate station areas to improve county coverage: a midpoint along Peppers Ferry Road between Business 460 and Prices Fork; a site near Rono/Lee Highway between Christiansburg and Elliston; and a Radford Road location in the western county.
Supervisors pressed on funding and implementation during a robust question-and-answer period. Supervisor Kits asked which Virginia localities use a "fire levy" and how a levy might apply to the county and the towns; Edwards and staff noted examples in other counties but recommended local decisions and further study. The consultant proposed a county human-resources support position to help recruit, onboard and retain volunteers and recommended the county hire a fire marshal and consider phased investments in inspections and staff support.
Edwards also urged development of fractile response-time targets (for example, 80% compliance for volunteer systems) rather than simple averages for response-time measurement.
The board did not take action on the report at the meeting but directed staff to post the final document online and hold follow-up work sessions with town councils and the Fire & Rescue Commission. County staff said the report (approximately 370 pages) will be posted after the town of Christiansburg receives the consultant briefing and that the consultant has offered implementation assistance.
Next steps outlined during the meeting include follow-up work sessions, a planned presentation to Blackburg (date TBD), and coordination with the towns and the Fire & Rescue Commission to prioritize specific recommendations and funding options.
