Albemarle County Fire Rescue has implemented an 18-month staffing initiative to respond to the growing needs of the community while more efficiently utilizing personnel.
The final phase of the initiative went into effect this week when ambulance service at the Ivy and Pantops stations converted to 24-hour service, an ambulance moved to the East Rivanna station to implement cross-staffing, and a daytime fire engine went into service at the Pantops station on Mondays-Fridays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This engine is the first to run fire calls from Pantops Station 16.
“Over the past two budget cycles, with all the economic uncertainty around the pandemic, the Board of Supervisors made a commitment to the people of Albemarle County that our public safety infrastructure is paramount to ensuring a high quality of life for our community,” says Ned Gallaway, Chair of the Board of Supervisors.
Through a $1.9 million FEMA grant and the approved Fiscal Year 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022 Budgets, ACFR has been hiring, training, and placing into service a total of 22 new positions over the span of 18 months and three recruit schools to staff the expanded services.
The final recruit school class was placed into service in September.
“Our department has made a concerted effort to recruit and train a diverse and talented cadre of firefighter/EMTs,” adds Dan Eggleston, ACFR Fire Rescue Chief. “These last three recruit schools are the most diverse in our department’s history. We are grateful for the experience they bring to our department and their dedication to serve Albemarle County.”
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