Career Information

Augusta County Fire-Rescue has a total of 47 employees; 7 administrative positions (2 currently vacant) and 40 field positions. Over the past 15 years, the department has grown from a total of 8 employees to the 47 in 2009.  This is due to the large demand on the volunteer system during daylight hours.

Augusta County established the first career/volunteer station in 1941 and named the station Augusta County Fire Department currently located on Richmond Road in Staunton. The original location for the department was in an old school bus garage, at the intersection of Richmond Road, Greenville Avenue and Commerce Road at the underpass in Staunton. The current location was built in 1971.

In 1941, the first paid fire chief for Augusta County was Chief E. H. Dabney; he was followed by Chief H. Hyde Kerr, Chief Harry Craig, in 1972 Chief Ron Garber took the position until September 2001 when he retired, Bruce Crow followed and he retired in 2008 the current Chief of Fire-Rescue is D. Carson Holloway.

In the late 70’s, the job description of the paid fire chief for Augusta County changed, that position went from having the responsibility of mainly the Augusta County Fire Department to having responsibility and overseeing all of the Fire and EMS services in the County provided by both volunteers and career personnel. In 1990, the now Retired Chief Ron Garber relocated his administrative office to the Government Center in Verona along with the central dispatch location.  Also along with that move to the Government Center, a Fire Training Position was added to the administrative staff.  A few years later, in 1994, an EMS Training Position was added, in 1996 an Administrative Assistant. Then in 2000, two additional positions were added, a Deputy Chief and a Volunteer Coordinator.