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Williams plans to retire as tire cmet in
I am writing this to all the citizens that live within the Chester Gap area. For those, of you that do not know me, my name is Kevin Williams and I have been serving as the current fire chief of the Chester Gap Volunteer Fire Department since the beginning of January this year. It is with the deepest regrets that I write this letter to let the citizens of the Chester gap area know that on May 1, 2005 I will be stepping down as the Fire Chief of Chester Gap Vol. Fire Dept. In 2004,1 was approached by several local government officials, citizens of the community and members of the department about coming back and helping with the department due to them feeling it was going down hill. After talking to members of the Rappahannock Fire & Rescue Association, area fire/rescue departments, several citizens of the community, and government officials, I decided to go back to the department to try to help out. In December I was voted in to take over as fire chief for the year of 2005. Within the past few months I have been approached by members of other departments in Rappahannock, Warren, Culpeper and Frederick Counties. They have advised me of some rumors that were being spread by some members of the department that could be very detrimental to my career as a paid firefighter/EMT. But everyone knows how it goes, you confront them about it and they deny it all day long and say that you’re doing a tremendous job. These rumors were being spread by a few members that if they don’t have complete control of something then whoever is in charge at that time is doing everything wrong but, when they are in control they feel everything goes smoothly with no conflicts.
Within the past two and a half years there have been more than 10 members that have left this department for the same reason that I am and probably because of the same people. Over half of these people that left were firefighter/medics and or a firefighter/EMT. I have seen so much talent and experience leave this department over the years and if you go around and ask them all why they left, they all would have the same answer. ' What happens in the long run because of a few people that get jealous because they see someone else making something of themselves and the department, THE COMMUNITY WINDS UP SUFFERING!
The only thing that is keeping me from resigning as of this date is that when I went back to the department in October 2004 I found out that the Electoral Board advised the department that the handicap ramp did not make ADA Compliance and needed to be replaced by January 1, 2005 in order for the department to be an elections site in November 2005. I took this project on with the help of life member Jna. Williams and got the deadline extended to August 2005. Prior to leaving the department I will make sure a contract is awarded so the ramp can be replaced and the citizens can continue to vote in Chester Gap instead of having to travel to Flint Hill, which is what would have happened if Someone didn’t pick up this ball that was dropped. I would like to thank the members of the department, citizens of the community, and local government for the support you have given me in the past few months while chief of the Chester Gap Volunteer Fire Department. I encourage each and every citizen to get involved with the issues going on at the Chester Gap Volunteer Fire Department because it is the community’s fire department, not one single member as some in the department think. Remember that is why we have elected a supervisor for our area (Roger Welch), so that you can call him and tell him how you feel about things going on within your community fire department. Kevin S. Williams Chester Gap
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