Goochland County seeks new fire marshal for key safety role

Goochland County is paying $120,000 a year for a fire marshal whose work reaches far beyond a desk job. The county’s opening, posted May 6 and closing June 7 at 11 p.m. Eastern, says the next hire will serve as Goochland’s designated fire official, carry the rank of battalion chief and oversee inspections, code enforcement, fire investigations, plan reviews, community risk reduction and emergency response functions.

That means the role will help shape what residents see in everyday life, from whether a new business can open on time to whether commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings pass fire and life-safety checks. The posting says the fire marshal reviews new construction and development plans for compliance with the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code before permits are issued, putting the office at the front end of county growth instead of only responding after a problem.

The timing matters in a county that covers just over 289 square miles and now has just over 26,000 residents. A county planning document based on the 2020 Census showed population growth from 21,717 in 2010 to 24,727 in 2020, with much of that increase concentrated on the eastern end. Goochland is also adding fire-rescue capacity of its own. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $9.45 million construction contract for Fire-Rescue Station 8 on March 3, and the county broke ground on the Sandy Hook station on April 7, calling it the first new fire-rescue district added in more than 60 years.

The county’s Fire-Rescue department is a combination system with career and volunteer professionals, and the Fire Marshal’s office is part of that public-safety network. Goochland County’s staff directory lists Doug Davies as the Fire Marshal contact, and county materials direct residents and groups who want fire and life-safety education, Fire Safety House visits or public education speakers to the Fire Marshal’s Office at 804-556-5365. The office also handles fireworks permits and open burning permits, reinforcing how often the role touches routine county life.

The broader department has also earned outside recognition, receiving an American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold achievement award in June 2025 for rapid care tied to severe heart attacks and strokes. In that context, the county’s search for a new fire marshal looks less like a simple personnel posting and more like an investment in the leadership needed to keep pace with development, inspections, outreach and emergency readiness across Goochland.