Goochland Fire Rescue asks board for 12 full-time firefighters as call volume surges

Fire Rescue Chief Eddie Ferguson told the Goochland County Board of Supervisors on March 4 that 2024 was the busiest year on record for the department and urged the board to add staff to match rapid growth and rising call volume.

"2024 was the busiest year on record for fire rescue services in Goochland County. We had 4,867 incidents," Chief Ferguson said during his presentation, and he added that ambulance transports have increased roughly 56% since 2020. He said station responses totaled 7,134 in 2024 and that average response time for fire engines countywide was about 11 minutes, 19 seconds.

Ferguson asked the board to fund 12 full-time firefighter/EMTs in the FY2026 budget and requested permission to apply for a federal SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant to seek funding for 12 additional positions. "We were granted 12 positions last year," he said, "and we're asking for 12 more now and permission to apply for SAFER for another 12."

Why it matters: the department says growth in residential and commercial development, increasing ambulance transports, and the prospect of a large fulfillment center (Amazon) will raise operational demands. Ferguson said the planned Amazon facility alone could add roughly 100 calls a year, most of them medical, and that an industrial-scale structure fire response at a site that large can require 25—35 firefighters in the first alarm.

Ferguson and Deputy Chief Watkins outlined training and staffing realities. The departments training academy can realistically accommodate about 12 new career recruits in a cohort; training and field internship together can take roughly a year. The SAFER grant they described would cover 100% of those employees salaries for three years but does not pay training or equipment costs and is competitive.

The presentation also asked the board to re-evaluate an Advanced Life Support (ALS) stipend for paramedics and intermediate providers. Ferguson said ALS stipend levels have not been raised since 2021 and argued that higher stipends are necessary to retain paramedics given regional pay competition.

Board members pressed on grant likelihood and logistics. One supervisor stressed that SAFER award priorities often favor rehiring or retention when layoffs are imminent, and called the grant outcome uncertain; Chief Watkins explained the programs mechanics (three-year salary funding, grant-specific dollar limits). Several supervisors endorsed the priority of public safety while noting budget constraints.

Next steps: the board will consider the staffing request as part of the FY2026 budget process. Separately, the chief requested permission to apply for the SAFER staffing grant; the department said it would return with details if an award is offered.

At the end of his remarks, Ferguson summarized the risk: "We are dealing with growth and development that is coming faster than our bench depth," and he asked the board to act to avert gaps in coverage.