Squabbles over beds, silverware: Prince William fire crews work out the growing pains of a new system, work schedule

WOODBRIDGE — It’s been over a year since the Prince William County Board of Supervisors voted to overhaul the fire department.

The move gave ultimate authority to the “system chief” who is to oversee both career and volunteer firefighters and emergency services crews. Prior to the move, the volunteers largely took what the career chief said under advisement while volunteer chiefs retained most authority for their respective firehouses.

The Board made the change in response to the county’s growing population, and as fewer volunteers sign up to serve. However, despite the move, the two groups — career (paid county employees) and volunteers — aren’t working together.

“Do you have the volunteers on board,” asked Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi.

“No,” replied acting Prince William County Fire and Rescue Chief Tim Keen.

“Well, you’ve been engaging them since last year, and if you don’t have them on board, it seems you have some work to do,” replied Principi.

Those words were exchanged during a work session where Keen briefed the Prince William Board on the status of a plan on July 6 to implement a 56-hour work week for fire and rescue crews. Officials argue changing the schedule from a 48-hour work week will fill gaps in coverage.

Firefighters will work three nonconsecutive 24-hour shifts and then have four consecutive days off. While Prince William is embracing the new schedule, the Arlington County fire and rescue system is moving away from it, opting for a 50-hour work week, costing taxpayers about $1 million more per year because of the need to hire additional staff.

A pilot program is in place at two Prince William County fire stations — Yorkshire and Linton Hall — where career staff is now working alongside volunteers. And they’re arguing about who sleeps where, squabbling about who gets what locker to store valuables, and quibbling over who uses the kitchen forks and knives.

That news made some Board members unhappy.

“I voted for [the new system chief model] because I don’t want to think about whose working weekends and whose not, or whose using silverware,” said Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe. “I don’t want to micromanage this.”

Yorkshire Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jerry Deem says he’s lost people due to the new pilot program.

“Volunteers have lost interest over time due to the new model,” he said. “Many feel like they’re not needed.” Deem says that instead of showing up for their shift at 6 p.m. on weekdays, some volunteers will show up later and later because they know career staff will be there to pick up the slack.

Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson suggested Deem recruit new volunteers that would take their duties more seriously.

Former Fire and Rescue Chief Kevin McGee will formally retire in February, though he stepped away from his duties this month. He lobbied for and won the new “system chief” model, which places 100 percent of the authority of the department under the county fire chief, a role now held by Keen as the county searches for a permanent replacement.

Under the old combined career-volunteer system, called the Fire and Rescue Association, McGee said he didn’t have the authority to make volunteers comply with his orders. Instead, volunteers reported to their respective volunteer chiefs who, in turn, collaborated with McGee but didn’t directly take orders from him.

That all changed in Summer 2017 when the Board of Supervisors adopted the new “system chief” model.

Keen, making his first appearance before the Board of Supervisors as acting fire chief, tried to reassure supervisors that he would work to bridge the gaps in his fire system, and to improve morale.

“We want to be known nationally as a combination system that is vibrant and effective,” said Keen.

As he works to achieve that goal, the department has made strides to improve response times in under eight minutes or less for advanced life support units, heavy rescue units, and water tanker units that are used in rural areas of the county developed without access to fire hydrants.

The department has also improved its staffing plan for fire engines, ensuring all engine companies are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to a county press release.