Caroline County’s newest firefighter are destined to “become heroes to a lot of people,” but they must never take that for granted, Col. W. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police, said March 1 during a firefighter graduation ceremony.
Flaherty had a vested interest in being the guest speaker for the occasion. His grandson, Taylor Buchanan, was among the graduates.
Flaherty also told the new firefighters, “We have to prove ourselves every time we put on our uniforms and we walk out the door. You’ve taken on an incredible responsibility. You’ve proven to this point that you’re up to the task, and we’re so proud of you.”
The local firefighting community grew by 17 last weekend. The latest class to complete Firefighter I and II training at the Ladysmith Volunteer Fire Company graduated March 1.
The new firefighters began their studies Aug. 3 of last year and successfully wrapped up lessons Feb. 9. They learned about handling hose lines, conducting search and rescues, extricating victims, identifying hazardous materials, and much more over the course of 310 hours of training.
Family, friends and mentors gathered in the Ladysmith station’s bay to celebrate their achievement, and several public safety leaders shared words of wisdom.
“Don’t let your training stop tonight. Move forward. Twenty-plus years, I haven’t stopped learning,” Ladysmith Fire Chief Stephen Melson said.
Chief Jason Loftus of the Caroline County Department of Fire and Rescue echoed that sentiment. “I challenge you to continue your training—probably not something you want to hear after completing 300 hours of training, but you need to continue your training in the fire service.”
Loftus advised the graduates to find a specialty within the fire service. “Don’t just be a general fireman. Specialize in something. Find something that is passionate that moves you that you can specialize in.”
He added, “Be the best in that one area. There are a lot of things in today’s fire service you can do to specialize.”
Loftus also told the graduates to find good mentors and to be good mentors for others. “I challenge you to be one of those good (mentors) for somebody coming in the door today.”
“I’m just so excited that we’ve got 17 new members of the public safety family—17 people that have committed to protecting and serving the Commonwealth, the citizens of the Commonwealth, this community, and our visitors,” Flaherty said.
Flaherty examined what it means to be a public servant. He said citizens are “very proud of their public servants.”
“They hold public servants in very high regard, but I also think that they have great expectations for them. They expect you to be honest. They expect you to be trustworthy. They expect you to reach high levels of integrity. They expect you to have a positive attitude, and they expect you and I to be at our best even when and especially when everyone around us is falling apart,” Flaherty said.
“They expect us to always do the right thing for the right reason. They will demand that we always exercise our best judgment, again, even in the most stressful situations and other sorts of situations.
“But the community will also revere you. They will revere you for your loyalty to the community, for your service to the community and your dedication to that service. The kids will emulate you,” Flaherty continued.
Victor Podbielski, assistant chief of safety and training at Ladysmith and the lead instructor, said, “You guys, I will flat-out say, out-performed probably any class I’ve ever taught—the camaraderie that you guys brought, the teamwork that you brought, and never giving up on each other.”
Podbielski added, “I mean this from the bottom of my heart—I started as your instructor. I became your teacher, and I became your friend. Any day, I’d be happy to have you backing me up.”
Graduate Stephen Williams spoke on behalf of his class. “Regardless of where we call home or what county or jurisdiction we come from, we all came together as a team and at the end of the day, we all went home safe and sound, which is everything that you can ask for.”
The graduates will now resume volunteering at their respective stations. The majority will serve at stations in Caroline County, while others will serve their hometowns in Spotsylvania, Hanover, and Stafford counties.
The graduates are: Tori Anderson, Bryan Atkins, Robin Barnes, Taylor Buchanan, Ian Collier, Dan Dennison, Clayton Farmer, Ryan Griemsman, Rachel Martin, Brandon McCarthy, Dylan Newton, Kimberly Pitts, Cody Terry, Stephanie Van Zandt, Christopher Wagner, Stephen Williams, and Ryan Wilson.