Our Mission

 

Wintergreen Fire and Rescue in a Nutshell

The mission of Wintergreen Fire and Rescue organizations is to preserve life and promote health and safety in our Wintergreen and broader Nelson County community through fire prevention, fire suppression, and effective pre-hospital treatment as well as technical rescue activities.

This five-minute video tells the story of the dedicated men and women of Wintergreen Fire and Wintergreen Rescue. Be a part of this great team as a volunteer. Learn more HERE.

Our Primary Service Areas

 

Wintergreen Fire and Rescue - Past and Future

 

Online Archive

Both the Wintergreen Fire Department and the Wintergreen Rescue Squad began in the 1970s when the resort was in it’s infant stages.

Wintergreen's first fire engine

The Fire Department was known then as the Wintergreen Fire Brigade and kept it’s only fire engine in a shed at Golf Maintenance.

One of the first rescue transports at Wintergreen

The Rescue Squad had one transport vehicle which was a Chevy Suburban, typically kept at what is now the Food and Beverage loading dock. Both departments were initially staffed only by volunteers, however the demand for emergency services quickly led to a career/volunteer department.

In the late 1980s, the mountain station (Station1) was completed. It has been expanded twice, with the most recent expansion taking place in 2007 to accommodate a ladder truck. In the early 1990s, the need was identified for a second station in the valley, which was built in the Stoney Creek community in Nellysford (Station 2). The Stoney Creek community grew quickly and in the late 1990s the size of Station 2 was doubled. In 2014, Station 2 was expanded again to accommodate a new Tanker and larger ambulances.  The stations are owned and maintained by the Wintergreen Property Owners Association (WPOA).

The Wintergreen Rescue Squad is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of approximately 35 volunteers. Volunteers meet on the second Tuesday of every month to cover training topics presented by the career staff and experts in relevant areas of EMS. Volunteers are trained from the level of Driver to Paramedic. Every ambulance which responds from the Wintergreen Rescue Squad will have at least one volunteer on board.  The Wintergreen Rescue Squad was named “Outstanding EMS Agency” for the Thomas Jefferson EMS Council in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019.

The Wintergreen Fire Department is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of approximately 10 volunteers. Volunteers complete much of the same training as career staff. Typically, volunteers meet emergency apparatus at the scene and provide critical support.  The Insurance Safety Office has rated the Wintergreen Fire district a “2”, which many moderately-sized cities have yet to obtain. In 2017, the Wintergreen Fire Department established its first Fire Auxiliary. The auxiliary maintains a stock of food and supplies to provide immediate support to the firefighters and responders and is ready to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The auxiliary also supports on-scene fire operations when applicable.

Wintergreen Fire and Rescue is a department within the WPOA. Employees (career staff) are required to be fully cross-trained for both fire and advanced medical emergencies. The full-time and part-time employees provide 24-hour fire and rescue coverage for both Wintergreen mountain and valley communities.  Since 2006, Wintergreen has provided EMS coverage for all of Nelson County through a contract arrangement by staffing a station in Lovingston. Wintergreen Fire and Rescue staff respond to over 3,000 incidents per year. All costs associated with the Nelson EMS (NEMS) program supported by Wintergreen Rescue Squad are paid by Nelson County.

Wintergreen Fire Department and Wintergreen Rescue Squad each have a volunteer Board of Directors responsible for administrative and business aspects of the agencies. Operationally, Wintergreen Fire and Rescue uses the “strong Chief” model, whereby the Chief, employed by WPOA, is responsible for all operations related to the staff and volunteers.

Combined, Wintergreen Rescue Squad and Wintergreen Fire Department operate many pieces of equipment. This equipment is as complex as a 95’ Aerial Platform truck or as simple as an SUV used for rapid response. Because of the extreme terrain, almost all of the equipment has to be specialized and is therefore more expensive than equipment used in an urban environment for emergency services. The capital needs of both departments are funded by private donations through annual fund drives. Operating expenses for responses outside the first-due area are reimbursed by Nelson and Augusta counties. All staff personnel expenses are paid by WPOA.  Volunteers serve as a force multiplier for the department and keep overall costs down. Wintergreen continues to strive to expand this model of hybrid volunteer/career emergency services personnel.

A 4-story training tower and a 48-ft smoke maze trailer were completed in 2013. Training will continue to be a high priority for both agencies. In mid 2022, Wintergreen Fire & Rescue began construction of its own Live Fire/Technical Rescue Training Facility with an expected completion date of late 2023. In the future Wintergreen could become a training destination for many of the courses required of EMS and firefighting professionals but rarely offered in central Virginia. This may include training in basic life support, advanced life support, firefighting, and technical rescue classes.  Continued access to the Tuckahoe Clubhouse (WPOA Facility) is required to meet this objective.

February 2023