While those incidents were extreme examples, Dave Elliott, President NVFD and Rescue Squad, Inc., says there is an urgent need for many kinds of volunteers right at the Nokesville firehouse. Most residents don’t realize that paid Prince William County firefighters staff the firehouse Monday through Friday 6 AM to 6 PM. The remaining hours, including holidays, are filled by volunteers. Most potential volunteers already have full-time jobs, with commuting adding hours to their day.

To complicate matters further, the county budgets each fire department based on the area’s population. Nokesville is one of the least populated but covers the largest physical area in the county, over 50 square miles. NVFD’s limited budget doesn’t completely fulfill its need for new fire engines and ambulances, so it must conduct fundraisers. In addition, because of road construction and the potential inability to respond to calls in Braemar by either Nokesville or Gainesville, a second Nokesville station will be built on Linton Hall Rd. That station will require its own volunteer staff in addition to existing personnel. It takes about one year to be "released" to perform duties unsupervised, so members are needed now.

Nokesville is ask-ing for volunteers with many talents. Fire-fighters and EMTs pro-vide the emergency services, but other skills are needed as well. Accountants, lawyers, landscapers, mechanics, construction workers, admin personnel can help out operate the station. To start, training (firefighters and EMTs) is three times a week for two months. After that, volunteers are assigned to a duty crew that stays at the station once every six days. Once on the job, there are monthly meetings and a six-day rotating schedule.

Okay, it sounds like a tough commitment but there are true benefits to volunteerism at the NVFD: free county sticker, car tax relief, insurance, vesting, free training and gear. And very important is the feeling of comradery and service to the community, not to mention residents’ expressions of appreciation.

"We’re pretty family-ish," says Elliott. While there are a few fundraising events throughout the year, some activities are held for the members and their families, such as the annual banquet in March, crab and shrimp feast on the fall, and Christmas party. The NVFD also sponsors a New Year’s Eve party, free to members, and takes Santa for a ride around the community. Of course, the Wednesday night Bingo has been the place to go for some 30 years.

Dave Elliott has been a volunteer for about 2-1/2 years. Originally joining as a business member, he recognized the need for emergency personnel. He became an ambulance driver, then an EMT. He’s now President of the NVFD. For more information about volunteering at our NVFD, please call 703/594-2220 or Dave at 703/615-8417.

(November 2001)