Community input is a critical component of evaluating the services provided by the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department. Please fill out the information requested below. Your individual responses will be held in strict confidence, characterized only as part of the global feedback.

Are you a current resident of the City of Winchester, VA

• No

What is the zip code for your current residential address?

Please check the boxes next to all the interactions that you have had with the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department during the last year.

• I've visited a fire station.
• I've attended a community event that involved the fire department.
• I follow the Fire Department in Social Media.
• Other interaction

The Winchester Fire & Rescue Department arrives at the scene of emergencies in 7 minutes and 21 seconds or less 90% of the time. In your opinion, is this:

• Acceptable

Please rank the importance of the following services for the future of WFRD.

• Ambulance Response - Critical (1)
• Fire Suppression - Critical (1)
• Technical Rescue Team (Confined Space, Vehicle Extraction,etc) - Critical (1)
• Hazardous Materials Team - Important (2)
• Fire Safety Education - Important (2)

If you would like to see a service added, Please list it in the box below:

Please check the boxes that reflect your opinions as they relate to staffing, response and costs. Please add any explanatory comments in the notes section immediately following the table.

• Staffing - Understaffed

Continued from above

• Response performance - Response too slow/light

Continued from above

• Cost of Service - Underfunded

Would you be in favor of paying increased taxes to support financial initiatives to increase volunteer participation and/or to subsidize the volunteer companies as needed?

• Yes

Please list the expectations you have of your fire department

• To be properly staffed per NFPA recommendations

Please list any concerns you have regarding your fire department

• Having visited Winchester numerous times and have family living in area and having 30 yrs. in fire Service currently holding rank of Chief I follow WFRD on social media and have concerns, both for your citizens but more importantly your staffing. On any given shift any day staffing is inadequate NFPA recommendation is 2 in 2 out to start a initial interior fire attack WFRD has a hard time meeting that let alone search, ventilation, hydrant lines. Waiting on mutual aid for first in tasks and assignments is not the right answer.
• Inadequate staffing is going to lead to injuries, loss of life, and increased property damage
• Volunteerism is dropping nation wide, increasing volunteer ranks is important but it can’t always be counted on as a solution

Please list any strengths you would like to share regarding your fire department

• 100% support by city government
• Adequate budget
• Support of our residents, which I feel for most part WFRD department has but also feel a lot are unaware of staffing issues nor understand the significance of

Please share any other thoughts about your fire department.

• Although we are a 100% volunteer I see similarities with WFRD are volunteer ranks are not what they were 10 years ago and recruitment and retention is a ongoing challenge
• Our City government works with us and gives us adequate Capital and OEM budgets, it’s difficult to retain membership when you spend time training and even more time fund raising.