David Foley

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Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department will be losing one of its best firefighters on Jan. 31.

Steve Poff was encouraged by a friend's father to volunteer for the Cave Spring Volunteer Fire department in March 1976 and has had fire in his blood ever since. However, after 31 years working for the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department, Poff is calling it quits.

"I've had a great career," said Poff, who is currently the division fire chief of Roanoke County. "They have treated me well, and I've received a lot of great training."

With more than 30 years of service behind him, Poff is leaving more than an empty chair in the department. "We are very proud of Steve. He is very much concerned with health and safety, and is the head of the health and safety committee," said Rick Burch Jr., fire and rescue chief of Roanoke County. "He is responsible for getting us the breathing apparatuses we are using today."

Poff also serves on the Local Assistance State Team, which is a special team of fire chiefs, mental health professionals and chaplains who can deploy to local areas and assist families of firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty. The program was conceived in October 2006 but was not organized in our area until January. Since then the team, fortunately, has been deployed only once, and Poff was there. A firefighter in Prince William County was killed in the line of duty in a house fire on the same day as the Virginia Tech tragedy, and his department requested assistance from LAST.

Poff described his trip to Prince William County as one of the most rewarding yet difficult times in his career. "I was affected by it," Poff said. "I was glad to be of help with all the assistance we could provide, but going back to my hotel room, I was always thinking of what more I could have done."

Poff was also recognized with a Hero's Award for helping to save the life of a young woman who was trapped under her car near Burlington Elementary School. "I was on my lunch break when the call came in, and happened to be a block away from the scene," Poff said. "There was actually a nurse and a doctor with her, but I was the first responder on the scene."

The three worked together to keep her alive until more help arrived, but Poff said he doubted she would survive the wounds she suffered, and was almost sure she would never walk again.

"She came up on the stage at the awards ceremony," Poff said. "Just to see her recover was remarkable, but when she came out walking it was amazing.

"She is my hero," Poff said.

Judging from Burch's opinion of Poff, none of these events would be surprising to those who know him.

"He is a person of high quality, high integrity and always provides the best service," Burch said. "I think we'll be able to fill the position with another good person, but we will never be able to replace him."

Poff intends to spend his retirement traveling and attending sporting events, but has already volunteered to continue teaching classes for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue.