Spotsylvania County can now proudly join the list of communities large and small that are turning painful lessons from tragedy into positive change for the community.

Little more than a year has passed since the fatal house fire in which volunteer firefighters struggled to find the victim who had been on the phone with 911 dispatchers pleading for help. The tragic outcome of that incident unearthed some difficult questions and led to a much-needed review of county policy.

We want to applaud County Administrator Doug Barnes and Fire Chief Chris Eudailey for taking steps to require all firefighters--career and volunteer--to undergo a minimum of training in order to serve the community. We urge the Board of Supervisors to follow through on their efforts and accept these standards.

Minimum training and ongoing education is standard practice in numerous industries. The fire service should top any career list for required skills.

The Spotsylvania County fire and rescue community boasts a proud tradition of com-bining the efforts of volunteer and career firefighters.

Few things are more honorable than volunteering time and personal safety in order to protect the community.

More important than personal sacrifice, however, is the commitment that all firefighters must make to provide the absolute best and most effective fire protection to the residents of Spotsylvania, 24/7. When lives are at stake, firefighters must arrive on the fire scene quickly and be armed with the best training available.

In its November 2010 Report of Findings and Recommendations, the Virginia Fire Services Board concluded that the county's lack of minimum training standards for its fire and rescue personnel potentially "presents liability issues for the county." Because of the efforts of county officials, that will change.

Spotsylvania County is right to do all it can to improve public safety by improving training standards. The difficult work and tough decisions by the elected leaders of Spotsylvania County will greatly improve the performance of its fire department.

Most importantly, these needed changes will make Spotsylvania a better, safer place to live and operate a business.

Jason Irby

Spotsylvania

The writer is president, Spotsylvania County Career Fire Fighters Association.