Manassas fire chief resigns, but differences remain

As he leaves his office for the last time later this month, Manassas Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Wood hopes that the city focuses more on what lies ahead than his two-year tenure.

However, by his own admission, Wood is resigning a disappointed man. He said the current fire and rescue department gave him a lot of liability and little authority. It’s also a system that he feels makes residents of Manassas less safe than they should be.

“[Public safety] is an essential service and an essential service needs a strategic vision, a strategic plan,” Wood said. “Some two years into my appointment, we’ve not been able to develop a strategic plan. There are too many diverse and opposing views on what could be done, should be done and what may need to be done.”

Manassas Volunteer Rescue Squad president Mike Enright was a little more blunt, stating the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company “disrespected” Wood.

 “I am surprised he lasted this long,” Enright said.

Manassas Mayor Harry J. “Hal” Parrish II said it was tough for all parties involved, including City Council. Set up in January, the system established a six-person public safety committee made up of volunteer and career staffers and a five-person appeals committee made up of Manassas residents and run by city manager Lawrence Hughes. Councilman Marc T. Aveni chaired the public safety committee.

“I can’t help but think that a great system can come together when people decide they both need and want to work together cooperatively as a team, that is the key,” Parrish said.

The fallout from the resignation could be immense, depending on whom you talk to. Some have publicly expressed concern that the new system could be abolished altogether. Enright has already marked a date in his 2011 calendar to see what kind of progress, if any, has been made in the six months proceeding Wood’s departure. And an independent, council-commissioned study due out in March will speak to the effectiveness of the new system, said Wood.

Assistant Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Rohs said he could’ve retired a few years ago but chose to stick around to see what Wood could do.  Both Rohs and Enright praised Wood for his professionalism, open-door policy and his ability to obtain grants for the betterment of the department.

“Wood has brought up this department 20 years just within the two years he was there,” Enright said.

Now that Wood is leaving, Rohs is following suit.

“[I am retiring] with a chip on shoulder now that I have seen what took place with him,” Rohs said. “He was hired to do a job and he couldn’t even do it.”

Andrew Carver, president of the City of Manassas Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Local 4466, said the public safety committee setup was inherently unfair because there were two members from each of the volunteer squads and only Wood and Rohs representing the career staff. Rohs cited the lack of input from the fire company regarding proposed Standard Operating Procedures at a meeting in October as one of many examples of the system’s failure.

“It seemed like the only thing got approved were the minutes,” Rohs said.

Newly elected Volunteer Fire Chief Matt Lausch said they worked within the confines of the system created by city council, and that it can’t be just one person that makes the decisions given the current setup.

Lausch said there were disagreements on issues but even as late as last Tuesday, he was meeting with Wood on policies and procedures for the combined department.

“His whole resignation came as a complete surprise to us,” Lausch said. “He gave no indication that this would happen.”

Manassas Vice Mayor Andrew L. “Andy” Harrover, who headed the reorganization of the department, did not return a message left for him Monday. When the system was created in January, he said he had “complete faith” that everyone in the three organizations would “act in the citizens’ best interest.”

Lausch added Monday that the volunteers need the career staff and vice-versa. He also said that Wood’s departure will not affect their delivery of service to Manassas residents.

“We will continue to do what we have done for the last 119 years,” Lausch said.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-530-3904.