Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services, 50 North Market Street, Petersburg, VA (2026)

09/02/2026

🚨24-72HR SHIFTS Petersburg VA‼️— TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEVER STOP ANSWERING THE CALL 🚒 42 HOURS —-‼️💯🚨

Right now, our firefighters work a 24-on / 48-off schedule, averaging 56 hours a week roughly 2,912 hours every year. For comparison, the average 40-hour employee works about 2,080 hours.

But those numbers don’t tell you what happens inside those 24 hours.

They don’t show the 2:00 a.m. STRUCTURE FIRE, the 4:00 a.m. medical call, the interrupted sleep, the difficult scenes you can’t simply forget when the shift ends, or the firefighter who goes home exhausted but still has to be a husband, wife, father, mother, son or daughter.

That’s why moving toward a 42-hour work week is bigger than a schedule change.

It’s about giving firefighters more opportunity to recover physically, reset mentally, be present with their families, and return to the firehouse ready to serve Petersburg at their best.

Less accumulated fatigue means sharper decisions on emergency scenes.
Better recovery means healthier firefighters and longer careers.
More time away from the firehouse means better mental health and stronger families.

And ultimately, a healthier firefighter means a stronger level of service for our citizens.

This has not happened overnight. Chief Hoover and our Administration Staff have been pushing the importance of this behind the scenes for quite some time, and over the past month a lot of work and conversation has gone into moving it forward.

So today, we need to give people their flowers.

A HUGE thank you to Council Member Marlow Jones for carrying the flag on this effort, and sincere appreciation to our entire Petersburg City Council City Manager March Altman for listening, seeing the value in our firefighters, and understanding that investing in their health and well-being is also an investment in the safety of Petersburg.

When a city takes care of its firefighters, its firefighters are better equipped to take care of the city.

That is what 42 hours represents.

Healthier people. Stronger families. Better firefighters. Better service to Petersburg. 🚒❤️

Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg Fire Support 6 Petersburg in Virginia

09/01/2026

LEGENDS OF THE LINE | PETERSBURG FIRE HISTORY “Take Me Back Tuesday” “RAGING INFERNO”

Halcun Manor Apartments 🚂 1800 Boydton Plank Road. YEAR: 2000 (Jefferson South Of The James) Now “Aubrey Apartments”

Some fires disappear when the last hose is packed. Others stay with a department and the City for decades.

This is one of those fires.

Longtime Petersburg residents may remember Halcun Manor Apartments at 1800 Boydton Plank Road. And if you were around the city when this fire happened, these photographs may bring back some memories.

Petersburg firefighters arrived to find heavy fire involving the upper floor and attic, with flames eventually pushing through a large portion of the roof. Engines 3, 2 and 5, Truck 1, Fire Rescue 4 and 530 responded on the initial assignment. As conditions intensified, a second alarm brought Engine 4 and mutual-aid companies from Chesterfield and Dinwiddie.

The fire heavily damaged the third floor and roof, and crews remained on scene well into the night. Despite the magnitude of the incident, no injuries were reported. Battalion Chief Steve Bowling held command.

But the incident report only tells part of the story.

We want to hear from the people who remember it.

Were you one of the firefighters on this fire? Did you live at Halcun Manor, have family there, or remember seeing the smoke from somewhere else in Petersburg? What do you remember about that day that these photographs can’t tell us?

Drop your memories, names, stories, and photos in the comments. Help us put the history back together through the people who actually lived it.

That is what Legends of the Line is about💯not simply remembering the calls, but preserving the stories of the firefighters, families, neighborhoods, and moments that helped shape the Petersburg Fire Department.

The pictures preserve the scene.
The people preserve the story.

Legends of the Line | Petersburg Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services

Petersburg VA Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Fire Support 6

08/26/2026

Program 2026
🛠️⚙️ ADDING TO THE 🧰🧠 🫡
When our people take steps to invest in their careers, they’re doing more than becoming better firefighters and EMS providers ..they’re investing in Petersburg.

Every new skill learned, every certification earned, and every hour spent sharpening their craft strengthens the service we’re able to provide to the citizens who trust us when they call 911.

Today, several members of Petersburg Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services begin VCU’s Paramedic Program 🔥a challenging program that requires commitment, discipline, sacrifice, and countless hours of study and clinical training.

What makes that commitment even greater is that these men and women are still working their regular shifts serving Petersburg, then giving up an additional day away from their families to sit in the classroom and become better at what they do.

That sacrifice matters.

Because when they grow, our department grows. When their knowledge gets stronger, our city gets stronger. And when the citizens of Petersburg need us on one of the worst days of their lives, they deserve to know that the people walking through their door have put in the work to be ready.

So today we salute everyone beginning the VCU Advanced EMT Program in the Crater Region, with a special shoutout to our own Petersburg members taking that next step.

You’re not just investing in yourselves. You’re investing in the people we serve.

Keep learning. Keep sharpening the craft. Keep raising the standard.

Petersburg Strong. Salute. 🫡🚒🚑

VCU Center for trauma and critical care Education .

Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg VA

08/24/2026

🔥 B4 SUNRISE | STARKE STREET 🔥

While most of the city was still asleep, Petersburg firefighters were already going to work.

At approximately 4:10 a.m., units were dispatched to Starke Street for a reported structure fire. Initial information indicated a fire downstairs, with everyone believed to be out.

Crews arrived to find heavy fire showing from the Alpha/Bravo Corner ….The assignment quickly became a confirmed working fire, and firefighters went straight to work‼️lines stretched, a 360 completed, searches underway, and RIT established.

The incident presented some challenges due to the placement of hydrants in the area and Starke Street being a tight roadway located just off Mistletoe. Despite those obstacles, crews overcame the access and water-supply challenges, quickly getting water on the fire and extinguishing the flames before they could gain any more ground.

Crews continued working through the structure, completing searches and checking for hidden fire and extension.

One patient sustained minor burns and was transported by Fire Medic 4. Dominion Energy was notified, and Fire Marshal 1 responded to investigate the cause and origin of the fire.

By approximately 4:31 a.m., the incident was placed under control. Mutual-aid companies moved in to place.
Heavy fire showing. Tight street. Challenging hydrant placement. Crews overcame and knocked the fire down quickly.

Just another reminder that the calls don’t wait for daylight.

Petersburg Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services
Be Safe. Be Great.

Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg VA Petersburg in Virginia

08/22/2026

Some people wear the uniform for a shift. Our Veterans wore it for a nation. 🇺🇸

Today we had the honor of spending time with the men and women of VFW Post 622 for their annual Community Day. When it comes to our Veterans, showing up will never feel like an obligation….it’s a privilege. These are men and women who answered the call long before many of us ever put on a uniform of our own.

That’s why the relationship between the Fire Service and our Veterans means something. Service recognizes service. Sacrifice recognizes sacrifice.

VFW Post 622 continues to open its doors and bring people together💯Veterans, families, neighbors, Public Safety, City departments, vendors and community organizations‼️all under one roof for food, music, games, resources and fellowship.

To the Veterans of VFW Post 622: thank you for your service, your sacrifice and for continuing to serve right here at home. Whenever you call, we’ll be there. Just like you’ve always been there for us.

The strongest communities are built by people who never stop serving. 🇺🇸🚒

Much love and respect to VFW Post 622.
Be Safe. Be Great.

Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg VA

08/20/2026

Right hand in the air taking the oath… badge pinned… then the DOUBLE DROPS hit for a STRUCTURE FIRE. 🔥🚒

Talk about a first official day on the job. No easing into Petersburg ..straight from the ceremony to the nozzle.

And the next group is already being built. Training Chief Cole and Training Captain Mann are finishing interviews after written and agility testing, narrowing it down to a few strong recruits headed to the upcoming academy.

The next generation is coming. The standard stays the standard.

Welcome to Petersburg, FF Beville. Heck of a first day. We had to bring him back after the Fire and accept his Badge 💯💯💯

Petersburg Fire Support 6 Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1

08/20/2026

🔥🔥🚒 Some folks get a handshake on their first day… Firefighter Jacob Beville got fire.

What started as a pinning and swearing-in ceremony at Station 2 turned into one of those moments you couldn’t have scripted if you tried.

Family, friends, and the C-Shift family gathered to officially welcome our newest firefighter, Jacob Beville, assigned to Station 3, C-Shift. Badge pinned. Oath taken. Proud family standing there watching him step into a new chapter.

Then the tones dropped.

A unit was dispatched to a vehicle fire on Willow Way in the Addison Apartment Complex. That call quickly changed when the fire extended into a detached multi-vehicle garage, upgrading the incident to a full assignment.

Just like that, the ceremony was over and it was time to go to work.

C-Shift hit the street, crews went to work, and the fire was brought under control before it could damage the other vehicles inside the garage.

And somewhere in the middle of all that smoke, heat, hose and chaos was the newest man on the job.

FF Beville — sworn in and on the nozzle the same day.

You can train for this job. You can study it. You can hear a thousand stories from the old heads around the kitchen table. But sooner or later, the tones have to drop and you have to find out what the job feels like for yourself.

Beville didn’t have to wait long.

He walked into Station 2 to receive his badge and walked out of there a Petersburg firefighter who had already caught his first fire in the city.

That’s one unforgettable welcome.

Welcome to Petersburg Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services, Firefighter Jacob Beville. Welcome to C-Shift. Welcome to 3 House. And most importantly… welcome to THE BURG.

The city wasted no time introducing itself.

Be safe. Be great. The work starts now. 🔥

Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1 Petersburg VA

08/19/2026

At approximately 2:16 p.m., Engine 2 and Truck 1 responded to 135 West Old Street Carriage House Apartments for a reported fire alarm activation. Crews arrived to find a five-story apartment building with no visible hazards from the exterior. Upon entering the fifth floor, crews encountered light smoke conditions and an activated sprinkler system.

Truck 1 located active fire and heavy smoke inside Apartment 516A and immediately requested a full FULL ASSIGNMENT . Battalion 1 and additional units arrived as crews began evacuating residents and searching the affected floors. Truck 1 quickly extinguished the fire, which appeared to have originated in the kitchen and was contained to the area of origin.

Engine 3, Engine 4, and Engine 5 assisted with evacuating residents from the affected floor and the apartments below. Engine 4’s operator controlled the elevator and assisted wheelchair-bound residents from the building. Fire Medic 4 evaluated residents as they exited, while suppression and EMS crews worked together to ensure everyone’s safety.

Support 6 responded to provide firefighter rehabilitation. Due to the extreme heat, Battalion 1 also requested two city buses to provide a safe, air-conditioned location for displaced residents while crews continued working inside.

The fire was brought under control quickly through strong coordination and teamwork by all responding personnel. Multiple apartments sustained water damage; however, no injuries were reported. Fire Marshal 1 remains on scene investigating the cause, which is unknown at this time.

Petersburg Fire Support 6 Petersburg The 4 House Petersburg Engine 3 The Wild West End Petersburg Engine 2 & Truck 1

Petersburg Fire Rescue & Emergency Services

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

08/26/2026

08/24/2026

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request