2000’s – Present

2000's

2000

First Woman Sworn In

The department has its first woman sworn in as a member. The first of many to come. 

2007

First Person of Color Sworn In

The department has its first person of color sworn in as a member. 

2008

Part-Time Personnel Added

With more people working in the daytime, there were fewer volunteers available to run calls. The department added one part-time employee to serve as a firefighter/medic to augment the volunteers and to ensure someone was always available to answer daytime calls. As time went on, the paid staff increased to two people covering Monday through Friday during the day in 2010, then adding weekends in 2018 to 24/7 in 2022.

2016

Station Renovation

Although there were some minor upgrades to the fire station since the addition was added in the late 70s, it remained somewhat antiquated. In 2016, the firehouse went through a significant transformation adding five bunkrooms, two more bathrooms, a chief’s office, a kitchenette, dropped ceilings, and a completely revamped training/meeting room.

Two years later, the department also gutted the kitchen and added commercial-grade appliances and cabinets to allow for the increase in personnel staying overnight and during the day.

2018

Purchased a Custom-Built Boat

The department purchased a custom-built boat from Munson in the state of Washington. The boat was specifically designed for the department to help rescue people from the three rivers surrounding the town. It’s front-loading door swings down to allow department personnel to pull someone into the boat easily. Additionally, the department added approximately $40,000 worth of electronics to it to allow better navigation and the ability to find victims.

This new boat also led to the department becoming part of a regional effort by the Port of Virginia and the US Coast Guard to bring Tidewater fire departments together so that those in need could get the best resources available.