by Neil Richard
Introduction
The basic idea behind this interview series is to interview local leaders that live, work, or have an important impact on King George County. We have asked various citizens for recommendations on who they see as a local leader. Additionally, we feel that everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. So we want to know their story. As you can see with the questions below, we want to share their story with the rest of the citizens in King George County. If you have somebody you would like to nominate for a future interview, please contact us.
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| Chief Moody stands in front of one of the departments emergency units. |
Basic Biographical Information
I completed high school down in Portsmouth. I grew up in the Hampton Roads area. I moved here about 16 years ago. I started actually in Community College while I was in high school. This was before they had the dual enrollment. I started right around my junior year taking community college classes at nighttime while I was in high school. I have two separate Associate's Degrees. One in Fire Science and one in Emergency Medical Services Para-medicine. Then I have a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Administration and Emergency Services. I'm also a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and that's a four year program. That's kind of equivalent to a Master's Degree in this business. I've been through the accreditation process for the CFO, Chief Fire Officer, designation. The EFO and the CFO are kind of the two top tier credentials to have as a Fire Chief. I'm also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program through Cornell University. I've been through the Lead Program at UVA, which is through their Senior Executive Institute with Weldon Cooper. And then I have all my fire and other certifications. [Chief Moody then proceeded to flip through a three inch binder full of certifications.]
I became a Virginia Certified Fire Fighter back in 1992. Right now, as far as the state fire credentials, I'm certified as an Instructor III and Officer IV. Officer IV is the highest one you can get so lots of instructor and train the trainer things. That's probably about it. I've got a list of certifications on paper. In this business it's kind of funny. Nursing and even doctors are similar too. You can have a Master's Degree in Fire Science and Engineering and not be a fire fighter. And then on the flip side you can be fire fighter and have all of the state credentials and not even have an Associate's Degree. So in this industry what I find is that you need to have a blend of both. You need to have a blend of the formal education and the actual state licensure and certifications. A marriage of those two is what really makes you have a strong skill set in this business. But you can go through the whole para-medicine program and not be a paramedic and not be able to practice and not have a state license. And there's some people that do that. The Fire Science and EMS are two separate degree tracks. They're not blended together where you can take it and get two, they're two entirely separate fields. One is in health and one is in science.
I currently serve on the Rappahannock EMS Services Council Board. We're unique because we cover two planning districts (PD), PD 16 which is ours and PD 9 which goes out to Rappahannock, Fauquier, and Orange Counties. I also serve as Chair of their Personnel Committee. I serve on the school's Health Advisory Committee for King George schools. I meet with all the nurses and help develop protocols and different things for the school health team. I don't know if this falls in there but I've been a Little League Coach too. That's probably about it.
Personal Questions
What do you remember about your grandparents?
You know, when I was young, it was pretty neat because I was at a young age when they lived right back to back to each other. So my mom's parents lived right here and my dad's parents lived right here and their backyards touched. For most people, the odds of that happening are probably slim to none.
My dad's parents, my grandparents, moved to Tennessee. Then I didn't really see a whole lot of them. Periodically from time to time. So I was more in touch with my mom's parents, my mom's side of the family.
My grandmother on my mom's side, she's still alive. She's close to 90 years of age now and she lives down close to where my mom lives in New Bern, North Carolina. They've both lived in Suffolk, that's in the Hampton Roads area. I always remember my grandfather coming to pick me up and I'd stay there over the weekend. Making breakfast in the morning. All those good things. He'd make pancakes, sausage, eggs, you know, the good stuff to eat when you're a kid. I don't get to see her as much now because of the distance. She's the last one of my grandparents hanging on.
What historical events influenced your life the most?
I think probably as a young teenager, getting involved in the fire and rescue business. It gave me a path as far as a career life and building a lot of relationships.
Certainly 9/11. I think it woke the whole country up. If you were alive during that year. I don't want to get too far off topic, some of the young people today, they were either toddlers or not even born during 2001. The only thing they remember about it is what they've heard about it or seen on television.
I'd say meeting my wife and starting a family and having children. Those are probably the big historical or personal events in my life.
Outside of work and home, what is your favorite place in King George?
My favorite place is where I'm not as much and where I'd like to be. I was thinking of the spot that I like a lot, it's around the 8th Street pier in Fairview Beach. We actually weren't down there that much this summer but I like when I am down there. We'll take our jet ski out there. Kids have fun. The sunsets are out of this world. But that's probably one of my favorite places in King George. I just don't get down there enough. I don't get out to Rick's and Tim's that much.
What person, place, or thing do you think is the most underappreciated in King George County?
I would say that place [8th Street pier]. Maybe a combination of that area of Fairview Beach. Caledon is. There's a lot of good stuff at Caledon. Can there be multiple answers?
Professional Questions
Who is your inspiration or mentor?
Mine would be my uncle. I started out when he was a volunteer fire chief and he's kinda been my compass along the way in my life. From professional to personal.
What is your ideal vision for King George County in the future?
I think my ideal vision would be that King George has smart growth. Growth is inevitable. We're in a very unique geographic area where we're going to be getting stuff from Maryland. Growth from Northern Virginia. From Fredericksburg. I think that as long as we try to preserve and maintain our rural character with also encompassing some of the amenities and the commercial things. As long as we do that in a smart growth concept, that would be my ideal vision. I think the Mixed Use Development is probably going to be a good idea. I think a lot of communities have experienced positive things with that. As long as it's done right I think it can be successful. I don't believe King George is going to turn into Charles County or Stafford, North Stafford, in the next 20 years. As different people get elected, things could change.
What do you feel are the top 3 issues to address in King George?
You know, I think something that falls into both of those categories [both this question and the next] is the landfill. I think in a way it has been a very successful revenue maker for the County. The County owns it and Waste Management provides all the operations to it. It goes back to the growth. As there gets to be more rooftops going up around the areas of the landfill, I think it could pose some problems. If, if we don't continue to take proactive measures to address odors and trash control and vehicles and all those things that come with operating the region's largest landfill. But I think it's certainly been a success and maybe a potential issue.
I think one of the issues we have is that we want to maintain and still have this rural tax rate and we've largely been able to do that because of the landfill. And yet the expectations from the citizenry that live here is wanting us to have the same services and same responses as some of our larger neighbors. I think that everything from requirement to retention to our public servants. I know in this department, every time we raise our salaries up, Stafford is holding a salary study now. And Spotsylvania. And Fredericksburg. Prince William is trying to attract people. I mean, openly. They're trying to throw bonuses to them to try to get them to switch over. I think the recruitment and retention of good, qualified personnel, teachers, deputies, 911 communication folks, animal control, paramedics, firefighters, EMTs. This is where we're going to be really challenged as an issue for the County. Service Authority. That's another one that tends to have a little bit of turnover as well.
I think one of the other issues that we need to address, in our department, is that we need to have a better and more timely response to the south east part of our County. It's just taking us too long to get there when it's a very severe life-threatening emergency. House fire. Person not breathing. Person choking. Car crash. The whole nine yards. I've been an advocate of this, getting a station in that direction. This station here [Company 1] covers 113 square miles of the 185 in the County. I think that's an issue. When the County's right for that as more people move in, more developments and different things, that's going to be a need.
What do you feel are the top 3 successes in King George?
I think the Mixed Use Development is a success. We haven't had one yet but I think the Board has been proactive as to re-looking at the ordinance and making changes to the zoning ordinances to allow for some of that.
I think having improved ISO ratings over the past 12 years, that's been a big plus. That has a direct impact on how much money you pay to your insurance company for your mortgage insurance, your homeowner's insurance. It also has a direct impact on economic development.
What person, place, or thing do you think we lack in King George?
I think one of the things that we probably lack is an area that we can almost refer to as our little downtown and have that downtown feel. If you ask people where downtown King George is, they think of the area around the Courthouse. That being the seat of King George. Part of that is the City of Fredericksburg, it's hard to mimic that, it's been around for ages. But an area in the County that has that get out and park your car and walk and you've got shops. You've got that downtown feel. Culpeper. They have that. They have a little downtown area. I think that's one thing we're probably lacking.
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