From fire to ice

 

The Hon. Amanda Adams swears in new recruits

After a local church burned to the ground seventy-five years ago, a group of intrepid Goochlanders created the county’s first volunteer fire company. Over the years, the organization evolved by adding emergency medical services and companies throughout the county and is now a combination agency where career providers work side by side with well-trained volunteers to save lives and protect property.

On February 11, the 2025 promotional and recruit graduation ceremony was held in the high school auditorium to recognize those who earned higher rank and formally welcome into the fire-rescue family recruits from three academies, the career fire-EMS recruits, volunteer EMT class, and the pre-certified fire-EMS academy for those with credentials from other agencies.

Officers promoted have impressive resumes. Some who volunteer in Goochland are career in other jurisdictions and generously share their time and talents. Many Goochland career officers got their start in the fire service as volunteers and made this very special form of community service their life’s work. They all bring commitment and dedication to excellence in their positions.

Heartfelt remarks by speakers indicated the regard with which they hold their profession and the trust placed in them by the community.

The Hon. Amanda Adams, Clerk of the Goochland Circuit Court, administered the oath of office to all recruits and officers.

Goochland County Administrator Dr. Jeremy Raley said that by completing this training, the recruits demonstrated a tremendous investment of time, effort and dedication to this noble profession. Class members included Military vets, a Rotarian, a private pilot, and holders of bachelor’s and graduate degrees, a diversity that will enrich the department. The common thread is that each chose a path of sacrifice, resilience, and courage to serve their community.

Raley observed that the recruits could have pursued this career in many places but chose Goochland, which “speaks to the strength of our community and reputation of our department.”  He thanked families for their support and making sacrifices that enable their firefighters to serve others.

Members of the recruit academy completed 25 weeks, 1,110 hours of intensive training mastering skills that include firefighting, emergency medical technician, hazardous materials response, and emergency vehicle operation. They started last summer when heat indexes were in triple digits and ended in single digit wind chills a few weeks ago.

Goochland partnered with Powhatan Fire & Rescue to leverage resources to conduct the academy.

In addition to the technical skills, the recruits learned teamwork and formed bonds that will service their respective agencies and the region well as they work together in mutual aid situations.

D. E. “Eddie” Ferguson Jr. Chief of Goochland Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services welcomed all to the joyous occasion. He quoted the department’s mission statement: “to provide the highest quality comprehensive fire-emergency medical services, and emergency management in an efficient, effective, accountable, and compassionate manner.”

He thanked the officers for stepping up to take on leadership roles. Ferguson urged the newly promoted to remember those who mentored them and to lead by example. He congratulated the recruits for completing the academy. He also thanked Powhatan County Fire & Rescue Chief David Johnston for collaborating on a joint academy which will strengthen regional cooperation and mutual aid.

Ferguson commended all academy instructors for their hard work and support from all levels of leadership in both counties. By completing the academy, recruits accomplished a lot, made lifelong friendships, and chose the best career on earth.  “Those in our profession are held to a higher standard, your conduct on and off the job is important, never let your guard down. Follow your training to keep safe on emergency scenes. There is no such thing as a routine call.”

Johnston thanked Powhatan supervisors for their support of the academy, which enabled that county to train its first full-time staff. “When we first sat down to discuss the academy, we had confidence that it would be an incredible opportunity and it was.” He too spoke to the importance of family, both at the fire house and home.

“People call us on their worst day because they trust us. That trust is not just built overnight but by generations of fire and EMS both career and volunteer. It’s eminently important that you show up with competence and calm. Your job is to provide the best customer service to make someone’s day better. Take care of each other. It’s okay to ask for help, it doesn’t make you weak. Enjoy the job, it is the best in the world, but don’t let it consume you. Have fun; it will help you not take home some of the things you see. Stay humble, be willing to learn. You’ve learned the badge now it’s time to protect the reputation,” said Johnston.

Goochland Battalion Chief Brandon Proffitt, Chief of Training and Safety, recognized those who made the program possible and successful. He commended the many academy instructors, especially Lts. David Morse and Danny Coughlin, whose hard work made the courses successful.

Coughlin, lead instructor for the academy, said the department set standards high from day one that were not lowered despite early mornings, late nights, physical fatigue, and academic pressure. Three programs, three paths, operating under one uncompromised Standard of excellence, accountability, and commitment to the community.

Lt. Danny Coughlin

The EMT class of 2025 put in more than 200 hours of class instruction, hands on skills, and clinical experience. All are volunteers who dedicated personal time to the program while balancing other life commitments. They had a 100 percent first attempt pass rate. Every member met the standard for the first time. “Emergency medicine does not allow for short cuts, they did not seek out any,” said Coughlin.

Credentials earned elsewhere alone do not define readiness. Over an intensive seven-week all certification readiness academy skills of the precertified recruits were evaluated for competence in firefighter 1 and 2; hazardous materials response; EMT, paramedic, and operational performance. They were brought up to speed on department policy, procedure, and protocols. “They chose to be sharpened and they were,” said Coughlin.

Recruit Academy 2025 completed a full 25-week program. Most are newly hired career firefighters from both Goochland and Powhatan. “They may have different patches on their shoulders, but one standard in their performance. They trained together and leave here united.” One academy graduate is a volunteer who dedicated her personal time to train alongside her career counterparts, a commitment that speaks for itself, said Coughlin.

“Graduates, what this audience sees is success. What I saw over the past year was growth. You accepted responsibility, you built community and demonstrated responsibility. Those are not decorative, they are operational. From this point forward, the public will measure you by how you act when the tones drop. This is where character and your training merge. You’ve exceeded standards, now carry it forward and keep the bar high. Make this community safer because you serve it. Thank you for giving you full effort even when there was nothing left. I’m incredibly proud of each of you. Congratulations, kids, you’ve earned your place, and welcome to the fire service.”

Firefighter Robert Reed, spokesman for the recruit class, said of his 15 classmates, “ten months ago when we began our journey, out of 100 applicants, we lucky few were deemed worthy of the opportunity to become professional firefighters and emergency medical responders, thus our transformation began. Over the last six months we have grown in new and exciting ways. We jumped out of windows, crawled through tunnels, pulled miles of hose, baked at a thousand degrees, learned how to stop-the-bleed, and how to save a life. Each of these skills is essential to the task of being a first responder. But there is something that lies deep within each of us that is arguably more important. Being a firefighter is to be one of the lucky few to do something good while we are here.

“Our covenant with humanity is crucial when disaster strikes our hand is the one that reaches into the abyss and pulls the desperate to safety not for glory but because we will do everything in our power to help our fellow man. We have been blessed with the desire to serve and have acquired the skills to go where others cannot and do what others cannot. We give life when there is none and put out the fire when hell has come.”

Reed also thanked the families for supporting recruits on their arduous journey to graduation.

The 2025 graduates are the latest in a long line of first responders that takes Goochland Fire-Rescue to ever higher standards of excellence. We are blessed by their presence.