Goochland Fire Chief Eddie Ferguson Named Virginia Chief Officer of the Year

Goochland Fire Chief Eddie Ferguson was honored as Virginia’s Chief Officer of the Year during the Governor’s Fire Service Awards presentation at the Virginia Fire/Rescue Conference in Virginia Beach, where Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the 2025 winners on February 18, 2026. Goochland County posted the recognition on its News Flash page the following day, Feb. 19, 2026.

Goochland County’s Feb. 19 news release states that “Chief Ferguson has over 40 years of experience with Fire and EMS and began serving as a volunteer in Goochland County at the age of 16.” The release notes that Ferguson was hired by Goochland County in 2004 as Deputy Chief and “has been serving as Chief since 2019.” County Administrator Dr. Raley congratulated Ferguson, saying, “This well‑deserved honor shows the rest of the Commonwealth, what we in Goochland already know – Chief Ferguson is an exceptional leader.”

VAFire’s profile of Ferguson provides additional context, describing him as “a lifelong resident of Goochland County” who “has dedicated over forty‑three years of service to his community through Goochland County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.” VAFire says Ferguson “rose through the ranks as company officer, district chief and volunteer deputy chief of EMS” and that he “guided the department through large‑scale changes that included major advances in technology, shifts in county leadership and the transition from an all‑volunteer organization to a strong combination system.”

Ferguson’s career outside Goochland is noted in both county and VAFire materials. Goochland’s release says he “served for almost 17 years as a career Firefighter Paramedic with Chesterfield Fire & EMS” and that he continues to serve “as a Flight Paramedic assigned to VA State Police EMS Med‑Flight 1.” VAFire also highlights his specialized assignments with Chesterfield County Fire and EMS, including the Hazardous Incident Response Team and the Virginia State Police MedFlight 1 program.

Biographical remarks from a 2019 WWBT/12OnYourSide profile appear in local records and shed light on Ferguson’s long involvement in emergency services. WWBT quoted him saying, “As a child, I always knew what I wanted to do... I always wanted to become a firefighter, EMT or paramedic, and when I turned 16 years old, I joined the Goochland County Volunteer Fire and Rescue.” The 2019 piece also quoted Ferguson calling his swearing‑in as chief “a dream come true” and saying he was “overwhelmed with joy and excitement,” that “now that he’s sworn in things will be business as usual and he plans to keep the community safe out of harms way,” and that he “wouldn’t be where he is today without the love and support of his family, friends and mentors.”

The Governor’s Fire Service Awards were established in 2002 by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs to “honor a chief officer who exemplifies exceptional leadership, integrity, innovation, and commitment to both their department and the broader Virginia fire service,” language cited in Goochland’s release. VAFire’s awards listing names other honorees for the 2025 awards; the site lists Garry Russell of Big Stone Gap as Volunteer Firefighter of the Year and provides a detailed description of Russell’s duties and performance.

Goochland’s online announcement includes a set of photos referenced by filenames IMG_2612, IMG_2605, IMG_2607, IMG_2600 and IMG_2587 and carries the department’s congratulatory message, “Congratulations Chief!”