By FireRescue1 Staff
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — A longtime fire chief is stepping down in protest of new training rules imposed by his county in Virginia.
Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Chief Thomas Oesterheld, who has served as a firefighter for 55 years, would need to complete almost 1,000 hours of training to continue to serve as chief under the new minimum training standards.
Chief Oesterheld thought his decades of experience might be sufficient enough and asked to be exempted from the rules, but was denied.
“I’ve had 48 years as chief, but suddenly my qualifications are zero,” Chief Oesterheld told The Free Lance-Star.
The new standards were put in place by The Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors in reaction to the “chaotic scene” of a fatal fire in February last year, when a resident on the phone with an emergency dispatcher died.
Volunteer firefighters who oppose the changes cite anti-volunteer sentiment as a factor in the decision to adopt the new rules.
“It’s a setup to take over,” Chief Oesterheld said.