Fire :: Henrico County, Virginia Events

Formal portrait of Douglas Clevert in formal Fire uniform with badge displayed.

Douglas Clevert Jr. named chief of the Henrico Division of Fire

Posted on June 9, 2026.

He joined Henrico Fire in 2020 as an assistant fire chief and was promoted to deputy chief in 2023. He succeeds Jackson P.F. Baynard, who is serving as Henrico’s deputy county manager for Public Safety. Clevert has more than 21 years of experience in municipal fire service, including 15 years in senior leadership and incident command roles.

Continue reading Douglas Clevert Jr. named chief of the Henrico Division of Fire

Jackson Baynard named Henrico’s deputy county manager for Public Safety

Posted on May 19, 2026.

As deputy county manager for Public Safety, Baynard will provide leadership on a wide variety of public safety issues, including the development of a 60-bed recovery center at the Eastern Government Center campus for individuals struggling with addition and the county’s implementation of a modern emergency communications system for the region. He succeeds Michael Y. Feinmel, who served the post for four years and returned this month to service with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as its deputy commonwealth’s attorney.

Continue reading Jackson Baynard named Henrico’s deputy county manager for Public Safety

A photo of emergency responders with a patient on a stretcher.

Henrico program to combat ageism among care providers earns top award from Virginia Association of Counties

Posted on May 18, 2026.

The county also earned an award for “Arrive Alive,” a comprehensive transportation safety program to improve understanding and address patterns of fatal and serious injury crashes across the community.

Continue reading Henrico program to combat ageism among care providers earns top award from Virginia Association of Counties

A group of more than 20 adults wear hard hats and pose for a photo at a construction site.

Firefighters, officials celebrate ‘raising the beam’ at Firehouse 6 construction site

Posted on January 6, 2026.

On Jan. 6, county and public safety officials celebrated the new Eastover Gardens Firehouse 6 construction progress in a “topping out” ceremony.

As part of an honor guard training, participants carry a casket.

With discipline and precision, National Honor Guard Academy shares expertise with local units

Posted on October 28, 2025.

More than 50 representatives of two dozen public safety agencies across three states attended the National Honor Guard Academy (NHGA) hosted by the Henrico County Division of Fire. The training session, held Oct. 19-24, was dedicated to elevating the knowledge, skills and execution of public safety honor guard units.

NHGA came about because “there just wasn’t any training for public safety honor guards,” said Doug Swartz, the academy’s founder and commanding officer.

“Traditions were being missed or misrepresented and our fallen just weren’t being honored the way we wanted them to, so we put a training program together.”

The 45-hour course offered a mix of classroom and hands-on learning. Materials covered basic drills, church and casket protocols, proper casket handling, precise movements and flag etiquette. It culminated with a full, mock line-of-duty funeral procession to give participants a chance to practice all they learned.

Instructors are retired or active public safety officers, with both civilian and military experience. Continue reading With discipline and precision, National Honor Guard Academy shares expertise with local units

A little girl sits in a fire engine and touches a fire helmet on a man’s head.

Community celebrates opening of Bungalow City Firehouse 23

Posted on October 16, 2025.

Since opening in mid-February, Firehouse 23 has enhanced fire protection and emergency medical response to areas of eastern Henrico. Officials celebrated the station and its new fire engine with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event that included a traditional fire engine push-in ceremony.

Located at 5618 Nine Mile Road, Firehouse 23 is named after its surrounding neighborhood of modest bungalow houses dating to the 1920s. “It’s tight-knit and resilient – a thriving community to this day,” Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson said of Bungalow City. “So, the name has deep roots, and it’s appropriate the fire station’s title reflects the community which it serves.” Continue reading Community celebrates opening of Bungalow City Firehouse 23

Statement from Fire Chief Jackson Baynard

Posted on July 15, 2025.

The Henrico County Division of Fire is aware of charges filed this afternoon by the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office against Master Firefighter Brian G. Martin. Due to the nature of the charges against him, Mr. Martin has been suspended without pay, effective immediately.

Winter storm prompts more than 500 emergency calls for service in Henrico

Posted on February 12, 2025.

Police, Fire responded to incidents such as downed utility lines, traffic outages Henrico County’s Police and Fire divisions together responded to more than 500 calls for service from midnight to

‘You don’t have to do it by yourself’

Posted on December 13, 2024.

Henrico’s mental health response expands, evolves with empathy, coordination

The 911 call came in just after noon: A woman reported that her 27-year-old friend had a serious drinking problem and might be suicidal.

A dispatcher marked the call as Level 4 – the most serious – under the Marcus Alert system, which is designed to help responders manage behavioral health emergencies so individuals in crisis can get the treatment and resources they need.

Pedestrian Safety Month is winding down, but Henrico’s focus on awareness and infrastructure isn’t letting up

Posted on October 22, 2024.

Officials on Tuesday addressed the increase in pedestrian-related crashes and fatalities in Henrico and reiterated the county’s commitment to safety efforts, which includes $1.5 million in new funding for street lighting, planned projects to enhance pedestrian accommodations, and public safety messages.