County Pays $140K+ to Privately Owned Fire Station Where Staff Live in Cramped, Aging Conditions

Written by: Sam Orlando

$140K in Public Funds, But No Upgrade Plans

AUGUSTA COUNTY, VIRGINIA — Augusta County taxpayers shelled out more than $140,000 in public funds this year for the Churchville Volunteer Fire Department—more than most other local departments. Yet the facility remains an aging, privately owned building with no clear plan for renovation, even as 14 full-time county-paid fire and EMS personnel live and work inside it 24/7.

Built for Volunteers, Now Housing Full-Time Staff

The Churchville station, constructed in the late 1950s and retrofitted in the 1990s for volunteers, is now designated a county HUB site. But conditions remain cramped and outdated: just one shared shower, limited privacy, and inadequate space for round-the-clock shifts.

Two longtime volunteers who spoke to Breaking Through News on the condition of anonymity described the current living quarters as “tight,” “worn down,” and “never meant for this many people.” They noted that the building’s design still reflects a time when overnight stays were rare—and not a routine part of staffing.

Despite internal county emails showing repeated discussion of the facility’s shortcomings, no capital improvement funds have been earmarked in the county’s current budget.

County Says It’s “Up to Code.” Critics Say That’s Not Enough.

“There is no violation of the fire code,” wrote Augusta County Fire Chief Greg Schacht in an email, referencing the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, which applies based on original construction standards. The State Fire Marshal reportedly concurred.

Yet critics argue that code compliance alone is not enough—especially when public employees are sleeping on site in a private building.

“If we never looked at a building again, as long as it passed inspection once, it would never have a violation,” said one staff member familiar with the site. “That hardly makes a building safe today.”

A Public-Private Puzzle With No Clear Oversight

Further complicating the matter is ownership. The Churchville Fire Station is not county property. IRS filings confirm the facility is owned by the nonprofit Churchville Volunteer Fire Department Inc. The organization is listed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and maintains independent control of the building and land. No lease or property transfer has been publicly disclosed.

Meanwhile, New Equipment—But Old Problems Remain

Meanwhile, volunteers have reportedly acquired new equipment and constructed a separate storage facility on the premises, despite claims of limited funding. Materials for main-station improvements have reportedly sat unused for years.

This arrangement—publicly funded staff housed in a privately owned, outdated building—raises serious questions about transparency, oversight, and fiscal responsibility.

A Countywide Question About Fire Funding Fairness

Across Augusta County, residents have raised broader concerns about how fire and rescue resources are distributed, especially between departments with different volunteer capacities, staffing levels, and governance structures.

With no formal capital plan and no public explanation from the Board of Supervisors, the community is left asking:

What exactly are we doing—housing our first responders in broken buildings and calling it “good enough”?

It’s not good, and it’s certainly not enough.