A Historical Review: 1942-1999
The 1940's
The 1950's
The 1960's
The 1970's
The 1980's
The 1990's
Prepared by Andrew T. Eastman
The 1990's
In 1990, the Fire Commission and Board of Supervisors approved a Length of Service Program (LSOP) and Personal Property Tax exemption for volunteer fire and rescue workers, however the LSOP was never funded. Employee identification numbers were issued to volunteers in order to track hours for both programs. New rules and regulations were issued for Bingo, and the county installs a new emergency generator. The department’s annual fund drive was now done three times a year. Office furniture, twelve Monitors, and a computer and printer were purchased. The building exterior and apparatus bay were painted. The parking lot was re-paved at a cost of $75,000 and the firehouse was officially dedicated at the annual banquet.
The death of Chief Isman and the appointment of Glenn Gaines as his successor marked the arrival of 1991. The department switched its fiscal year to an October-September schedule. A new stove was purchased for the social hall kitchen and a large screen TV for the dayroom. New uniforms were issued to both paid and volunteer staff. The old furnace room and line office were renovated to create additional storage space, and the property was landscaped to help improve its appearance. The President of the United States, George Bush, recognized Robbie Allen, President of the Ladies Auxiliary, for her volunteerism. And the auxiliary sold its 1979 utility to purchase a new minivan.
In 1992, Robbie Allen died and the social hall was named in her memory. The department ordered a new Pierce Arrow pumper and filed for tax-exempt status in order to obtain low interest loans, but the initiative fell through due to legal complications and hesitancy by the county to approve it. A new ice machine was purchased. The station was struck by lightening damaging some electrical equipment. The county’s 20-hours orientation program was started and the board sets the minimum age for operational members at 18 years old.
Chief Banks resigned in 1993 after 15 years as the department’s chief operational officer, the longest period served consecutively by any one person. Many improvements and repairs were made to the facility including: a new sign at the front of the property, heaters in the social hall coat room and Bingo office, a new bay door to replace one damaged, new exhaust fans in the social hall, lights for the flagpole and map boards in the control room. Volunteers were issued pagers and food was discontinued at the monthly meeting to conserve funds.
The first automatic early defibrillation (AED) unit was purchased by the department for the fire engine in 1994. The remaining 1976 Ward-LaFrance was sold and two new Excellance Ford E-350 style ambulances were purchased. The two Road Rescue ambulances were traded in. The LSOP program was discontinued due to illegalities. A policy and procedures manual was implemented for volunteers. A new computer, printer and copier were purchased, as well as three new portable radios. The social hall was painted, stage re-carpeted and new furniture was purchased for the dayroom.
In 1995, the board voted to change the department’s name by adding "and Rescue" to better define its mission. It was found that the department’s attorneys failed to renew the corporate charter in 1992 due to an oversight. The problem was corrected and the board ratified all decisions made over the past three years. Susan Hurley was elected the first female president of the department. The county changed its rank structure dropping the rank of sergeant and made all shift leaders Captains. A new computer, washing machine and CPR mannequin were purchased, the later by the Ladies Auxiliary. The reserve engine was outfitted with advanced life support (ALS) equipment. A ramp from the front parking lot to the apron was added to provide a safer means of entry for units returning to the station.
The county launched two major initiatives concerning volunteers in 1996: the EMS Only and overtime offset programs. The EMS Only pilot allowed volunteers to ride basic life support (BLS) units without a firefighter certification. The overtime-offset program was initiated to provide scheduled front-line riding opportunities for volunteers while helping to reduce the overtime budget. The coverage for performances at Wolf Trap Farm Park was opened to all county volunteers after years of coverage solely by Dunn Loring. The county apparatus stipend was increased to $18,000 with an additional $2000 coming from grant money. A new Bingo machine was purchased.
In 1997, Dunn Loring for the first time placed in service a BLS unit in support of the EMS Only program. The county installed a new emergency generator for the fire station.
The 1983 Seagrave pumper was rehabilitated for the second time in 1998, in lieu of purchasing a new pumper. A lack of financial planning over the past decade placed the department in the difficult position: to extend another loan with three already in place. The board decided to be conservative at that time, and instead to initiate a new budget program to plan for both operational and capital expenditures. Surplus funds from 1997 and prior years were devoted to facility improvements to correct long neglected problems. The men’s locker room was tiled, replacing the carpet damaged by several overflowing toilet incidents. In December, Chief Gaines retired as the county fire chief.
In 1999, Chief Edward Stinnette was named the new county fire chief after serving as the assistant chief for many years. The volunteer utilization plan that had been under development for two years was adopted thereby formalizing the use of volunteers as part of a combination fire and rescue department. A subset of the plan provided the battalion chiefs more authority over the utilization of volunteer resources, and officially incorporated the volunteer chiefs into the battalion management system. The Fire Commission voted to require volunteers to complete a physical examination every year and to subject new volunteers to a county background investigation. The EMS Only program graduated from pilot status and made a formal part of fire and rescue operations. A plan to incorporate ALS provider into the EMS Only program was begun. A second AED for the reserve engine was procured through grant funds. The county apparatus stipend was increased to $25,000. At Dunn Loring, new doors in the Bingo hall and new shower stalls in the men’s locker room were installed. The board voted to hire a professional fund raising consultant to begin a multi-year capital campaign.
Currently, the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department and Ladies Auxiliary boasts 80 active members and over several dozen inactive life members contributing over 29,000 hours a year. With assets of nearly $2.5 million, it continues to play a major role in providing fire and emergency medical services to the approximately 22,000 citizens of the Dunn Loring area, and the over one million people in the greater community of Northern Virginia.
Dunn Loring operates two fire engines, two ambulances, a brush unit, a canteen and a light/air unit from its facility at 2148 Gallows Road. Under the auspices of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, it provides service twenty-four hours a day with a paid compliment of 21 career firefighters scheduled on three rotating shifts. During the evening hours, staffing is increased by one firefighter from the operations staff to operate the light/air unit as needed. Volunteers provide supplemental staffing and place additional units in service in addition to raising funds and providing administrative support on a daily basis.