By Heather Price Ives
The Daily Progress
GREENE COUNTY, Va. — The Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company in Greene County has been closed and its firefighters have been banned by county supervisors from responding to any emergency calls.
That leaves only the Stanardsville and Dyke volunteer fire companies in Greene to respond to fires in the 157-square-mile county.
Few details have been disclosed regarding the sudden closure of the Ruckersville operation, only that an outside agency has been contracted to review and investigate unspecified claims against the operation.
“We will not be discussing ongoing reviews in the media, in public, or online,” Greene County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Catalano told The Daily Progress via email.
The board made the decision to shutter the fire company in a closed-door meeting on May 13. Two days later, the board informed the fire company it could no longer respond to emergency calls. It was days later that most of the public learned of the development.
“The Board of Supervisors was trying to keep this quiet,” a source close to the matter who spoke under the condition of anonymity told The Daily Progress. “It looks like the fire company did something wrong. But the supervisors allowed the citizens of Greene to live without a fire company without telling them. The supervisors really thought people wouldn’t notice.”
Catalano acknowledged that the decision to close the fire company had not been effectively broadcast across the county.
“We appreciate the concerns the public have raised regarding information released to the media from outside officials [sic] County government channels, but all decisions made by the Board of Supervisors are made with due diligence and with the public’s well-being foremost,” he said.
Catalano promised that the loss of the Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company would not imperil the lives of Greene County residents — even though Ruckersville’s was the only fire company in the county with a ladder truck capable of reaching higher stories.
“The public is not at risk as Stanardsville Volunteer Fire Company [sic] and Dyke Volunteer Fire Company are arranging their staffing to handle call volumes from Ruckersville’s first-due area. There is the same level of protection as before,” said Catalano. “Surrounding jurisdictions have been notified and we hold Mutual Aid Agreements with them to respond to calls in our County.”
Harold Richards, now the former president of the Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company, disputed Catalano’s claim.
“Our mission is and always has been to protect life and property. This decision adds minutes to response time when seconds count,” Richards told The Daily Progress via email.
Richards also did not say why the fire company had been shuttered, but did say he was sorry to see 77 years of service end this way.
“While we are forced to comply with their decision and we are working to resolve any questions, we are saddened and concerned for the life and safety of the community we have served since 1948 and for the citizens that have supported us and we have cared for everyday,” Richards said.
The Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company was the first fire department in Greene County.
The Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company operated under the management of a board of directors. Complaints are typically brought to the attention of the company’s board as a first step in addressing concerns.
“Their first step was to put lives at risk by stopping the fire company from operating,” the anonymous source said, referring to the Board of Supervisors.
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