Fire-Rescue Department Honored for Eco-Efforts

Before they burn an old vehicle to practice extinguishing a car fire, members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue carefully remove the battery and drain the brake, transmission and radiator fluids.

Likewise, when the firefighters battle a blaze in their "burn building" at the county's Nokesville training center, the fire is started with straw and unpreserved, untreated wood from old pallets.

It's part of an effort to train hard and pollute less. And the department is being recognized for it.

The firefighters are the first in the state to receive an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise certificate from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

"The program for us is a natural outgrowth of what they have been doing for the last two decades," said Randy Earl, spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department. "The program has enabled them to perform at a higher level then before."

The certificate is given to any business or organization in Virginia that proves it is committed to minimizing its impact on the environment. The fire department examined its facilities and operations to devise ways to improve.

"They have performed in an environmentally conscious manner, historically," said David Wenzel, the environmental, health and safety manager for Prince William.

The department educated its staff and created an environmental training curriculum.

"The education is a key component," Wenzel said. "We can design ideal operations, but if employees don't have that training component, you don't set yourself up for the most effective solutions possible."

Three Prince William facilities within the Public Works Department -- environmental services, the print shop and the central supply office -- also earned awards. And Prince William wants more. The county is seeking recognition for the landfill and Yard Waste Composting Facility at Balls Ford Road and for operations at the Park Authority.

"Prince William County, like any responsible organization and company, should be concerned with their environmental footprint," Wenzel said. "Prince William County, I believe, has taken an aggressive approach to doing that."

Award recipients hope it will inspire the rest of the county. "Part of this is also to demonstrate to the citizens that we are environmentally responsible, and hopefully they will follow our example," Earl said.