LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Consultants presented Lynchburg City Council with the results of an assessment of the Lynchburg Fire Department on Tuesday, highlighting concerns about department culture, communication and the city’s role in department operations.
The assessment, conducted by local government consulting firm Raftelis, began in January and evaluated the department’s workplace environment through department-wide surveys, in-person sessions and policy reviews.
Consultants found employees reported inconsistencies in communication and decision-making under previous department leadership. The assessment also identified concerns about the level of involvement City Council has in department matters.
“The theme did come up in our conversations,” said Jonathan Ingram, Raftelis vice president and project leader.
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Lynchburg Mayor Larry Taylor said council members can sometimes become too involved in city operations.
“We have a tendency to run ahead of ourselves. We have to be in absolute control … And we shouldn’t be,” said Mayor Taylor.
Taylor said the hiring of a new fire chief presents an opportunity for the department to establish a new culture moving forward.
Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick said meaningful change will take time.
“It is not a six-month or one-year process; we look down the road, you know, five years, when we look at an assessment like this,” said Patrick.
Patrick said maintaining clear roles within the city’s chain of command will be critical to the department’s success.
“It causes confusion if people step out of lanes, and we’re confident we’ll work with city council, and we’ll be successful moving forward,” said Patrick.
Patrick said city leaders hope to see progress after the first year, particularly in improving communication and ensuring employees are treated consistently.
Raftelis consultants encouraged council members to follow the chain of command, saying their cooperation will help produce the most effective results for the department.
