Coles Fire and Rescue to Merge into Prince William Fire and Rescue

Provided, Prince William County Government:

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors, in following the recommendation of the Fire and Rescue Association (FRA), agreed to merge the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad into the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue (DFR).

DFR Chief and FRA Chairman Kevin McGee said that the merger was necessary because changes in the community have made it increasingly more challenging for the volunteer company at Coles to meet service demands. “The demographics of the community are making it more difficult to find volunteers who can put in the time necessary to meet the needs of the station. Their membership is down to a very low level, and Coles is no longer in a position where it can successfully provide fire-and- rescue services independently. Unfortunately, it’s just not strong enough to comply with its contractual obligations to the Board of County Supervisors.”

McGee went on to say that he and Coles District Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Wood worked together to create a new way to operate the Coles District station. “A new model is necessary to place us in a strong position to keep the volunteer program alive and well in Prince William County. Together, Chief Wood and I developed this proposal, which allows volunteers to continue serving the community while maintaining sufficient staffing levels to meet the needs of the residents 24-7.”

Currently, the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department is staffed 24-hours-a-day with career firefighters and emergency medical technicians from the Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue along with Coles volunteers. That will continue, McGee said. “We’re all providing a service together. We’re all part of the team. We’re helping each other to provide a service to the community.”

McGee said the county budget will be unaffected by the merger. The management of the Coles budget will simply shift to the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue. “We’re not asking for any more or any less funding because of this.”

McGee said he and Wood will seek to increase the number of volunteers at the station even as the merger goes into effect. “The goal Chief Wood and I have is that we rebuild membership, and that working together, we’ll be able to increase the level of staffing with the tactical units in the station.”

The new name of the station will be the Prince William County Coles District Fire and Rescue Station 6 to honor the tradition of the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Wood will be a volunteer battalion chief.

“Prince William County has a long history of men and women volunteering their time to help keep their communities safe. We will preserve the legacy of the 65-year history of the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad by continuing to provide opportunities for volunteer support, and remaining in dialogue with the community to assure we provide the level of service our residents deserve,” McGee said.