Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG- Christiansburg Fire Chief Billy Hanks presented updates and overview of Fire and Rescue to the Christiansburg Town Council on July 9, 2024.
To begin his presentation, Hanks explained Christiansburg Fire and Rescue was established in 1911 and since then has expanded to the current fleet and staff with about 38 volunteers and multiple paid positions. Hanks provided a breakdown of the fire and rescue calls the department received thus far this year with 13 percent of those calls being fire related, but the rest of those calls consisting of rescue and medical calls [28%], hazardous conditions [8%], service calls [8%], good intent calls like if you smell gas [26%] and other fire and rescue related services. The total call per year, his presentation explained, added up to 1083 calls for both Christiansburg and Montgomery County, which is an uptick for this year compared to 2023.
Christiansburg Fire and Rescue Department also offers programs and checks that help keep Christiansburg safe, like their Prevention and Inspection Program where they inspect over 800 businesses, sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems. They also inspect food trucks for Christiansburg’s beloved events ensuring that vendors and residents are safe.
Hanks explained that a basic firefighter undergoes 257 hours of training before serving their community and they continue training and retraining throughout their careers. These training include fire training, hazardous materials training, electric vehicle and lithium battery training and other lifesaving certifications like CPR and First Aid. These trainings are for both paid employees and volunteers.
Christiansburg Fire and Rescue offer programs for their community as well, such as vehicle etchings where they partner with Christiansburg Police Department and Parks and Rec to etch vin numbers into car windows to help deter vehicle theft. They also work with Carilion Clinic to teach car seat installation to the families and community members who need that education and assistance. Community members can see their local fire department at the many Christiansburg events like Touch a Truck or the Fall Festival, oftentimes having a vehicle for residents to explore, but always ensuring safety.
“We’ve been here since 1911,” Chief Billy Hanks said, “and are very proud to be here.”
