Prince William County’s Department of Fire and Rescue is celebrating 50 years of public service in the county.
The department started in January 1966 when Dumfries resident Phil Ponder was hired as the first paid firefighter for the county, according to a Prince William fire and rescue release.
Throughout the years, the department has transformed, and now has more than 550 paid personnel, including first responders, trainers, investigators and dispatchers, according to a release.
A release stated that Ponder went on to rise to the rank of Battalion Chief at Prince William fire and rescue. Ponder passed away in 2005 at the age of 68, after many years of service to the county.
