Supervisors authorize potential audit of Flint Hill fire company

The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to authorize Curry to compile a list of forensic auditors to survey the Flint Hill Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company after a recommendation from Virginia State Police.

The Rappahannock County Public Safety Committee last week recommended that the Board of Supervisors withdraw financial support from the troubled Flint Hill Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company. The company’s rescue squad has not been able to respond to calls since last March when its certification with the Virginia Department of Emergency Services was not renewed.

Some history of the company includes a consulting firm’s 2015 warning that the fire and rescue squad was in “desperate shape” due to a “significant lack of personnel.” Multiple audits found a “deficiency in internal control” and a 2020 letter from the Rappahannock County Volunteer

Fire and Rescue Association concluded that the Flint Hill company “appears to lack standards of behavior and operations” and has demonstrated “failure to enforce their existing standards.” The document also noted low response rates by the company’s volunteers and a series of incidents reflecting policy violations and questionable decision making.

Company President Karen Williams attended last week’s meeting and said the company responded to about 90% of calls received in December, and that the department is seeking more help and guidance from the county, despite the company declining the county’s help in the past.

More than a dozen residents spoke during the public comment portion, with many saying they’d like to see the company reformed rather than defunded. Many residents also expressed their frustration with the company’s lack of organization.