At the March 20 meeting the Pittsylvania County Fire and Rescue Commission received multiple operational updates: modular training facilities are on hold pending a legal review, firefighter I courses are running in north and south locations with nearly 40 students each, BFIS insurance risk-assessment visits are scheduled for March 25, and response-coverage statistics show most EMS and fire agencies meeting service-agreement targets.

Commission chairmen and Director Tyler Key reported the commission had previously recommended that modular training facilities be constructed to serve North and South ends of the county, but the project ‘‘has been placed on hold’’ after staff learned that the Code of Virginia may restrict use of the proposed facilities. The chair encouraged commissioners to contact supervisors in support of the training centers if they wish to press the recommendation forward.

Director Key also outlined upcoming operational items: BFIS insurance will conduct risk assessments at five stations on March 25 (schedule in packet), county SCBA air-compressor testing and pump-service testing bids are due and servicing is planned for April–May, and the statewide burn ban is in effect through April with a local restriction that no burning occur before 4 p.m. Fire training activity reported almost 40 students in each of two Firefighter I classes.

On response coverage, packet statistics for two recent two-week periods showed only two EMS agencies below the 75% target (both at about 70%) and two fire agencies below the service-agreement percentage (in the 60s). County staff said they have met with at least one below-target agency, reviewed improvement plans and will revisit performance after six months while monitoring weekly numbers. ‘‘We’ve actually met with one of them, and they’ve put together a plan… we were gonna revisit it after six months,’’ a staff member said.

Commissioners used the update to thank agencies and dispatchers for heavy responses during a recent major storm and to note several department losses and retirements across the county; members also thanked mutual-aid partners for assistance during a recent large incident.