Prater Fire & Rescue

11/01/2026

We loved seeing all the costumes and smiling faces at our Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat event! Over 300 kids came through our two stations combined! Thank you to everyone who stopped by. We hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween! We can't wait to see everyone again next year, and hopefully even more trick-or-treaters!

10/30/2026

Come see us tomorrow night at both locations!

Join us on Halloween night for our Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat!

Stop by either of our two stations between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Saturday, October 31st, for some candy and Halloween fun!

We look forward to seeing everyone!

10/27/2026

Join us on Halloween night for our Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat!

Stop by either of our two stations between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Saturday, October 31st, for some candy and Halloween fun!

We look forward to seeing everyone!

10/26/2026

A busy weekend for our department.

Over a 36-hour period this weekend, we responded to five motor vehicle accidents, while EMS personnel handled 24 calls for service, averaging one EMS call every 90 minutes.

Four accidents occurred on the Coalfields Expressway, including two vehicles striking elk, one striking a deer, and another striking a guardrail before overturning and coming to rest on its roof.

The fifth occurred on Greenbrier, where a vehicle overturned onto its side, requiring firefighters to stabilize the vehicle and perform an extrication.

With three accidents involving wildlife, we remind motorists to use extra caution, especially at night and during foggy conditions. Reduced visibility makes wildlife difficult to spot, and elk may remain standing in the roadway, leaving drivers little time to react.

We extend our appreciation to all personnel who worked tirelessly throughout this busy weekend. Please slow down and move over when approaching accident scenes and yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles responding to calls. These simple actions help protect our responders and the public.

10/15/2026

Coat Drive kicks off. Also collecting toys to give out.

10/09/2026

🚁 When Seconds Matter, Teamwork Makes the Difference! 🚑🚒
This evening, Prater Fire & Rescue responded to a medical emergency requiring rapid transport to a higher level of care.
Through the coordinated efforts of Prater Fire & Rescue, Buchanan County 911 Dispatch, and Virginia State Police Med-Flight 2, our patient was flown directly from the scene to a facility equipped to provide specialized medical care.
In rural emergency services, specialized care isn't always close to home. From the initial 911 call to the coordination of ground and air resources, every link in the chain matters.
A special thank-you to our dispatchers, ground crews, and the flight team for their professionalism and dedication to the communities we serve.
📸 Photo Credit: Brody Cochran
VSPAviation

10/01/2026

A tractor-trailer found itself stuck while traveling on Hoot Owl Road earlier this evening.

The truck has since been removed, all crews have cleared the scene, and Hoot Owl Road is open to traffic.

10/01/2026

🚨 UPDATE 🚨

Hoot Owl Road has reopened following the earlier vehicle accident.

Thank you for your patience and for giving emergency crews room to work.

🚨 ROAD CLOSURE 🚨

Hoot Owl Road is currently CLOSED from the top of Hoot Owl to the intersection of Poplar Creek Road due to a vehicle accident.

Please avoid the area and use an alternate route while emergency crews are operating on scene.

We will provide an update when the roadway has reopened.

Please use caution and give emergency personnel room to work.

09/16/2026

Another successful annual inspection for our EMS operations!

Prater Fire & Rescue recently completed and passed our annual VDH Office of EMS agency inspection.

Keeping our EMS operations ready takes a lot more than responding to calls. Our members spend countless hours checking equipment, maintaining our ambulances, keeping supplies stocked, completing required documentation, and making sure everything is ready when our community needs us.

We appreciate all of our EMS providers for the time and effort they put into keeping our ambulances and EMS operations running safely and efficiently.

09/15/2026

Prater Fire & Rescue members recently attended the Wise Regional Fire School and completed a combined 112 hours of training.

Jamie Harris completed 8 hours of DPO Train-the-Trainer, which included basic pump operations and rural water supply, along with 16 hours of Elevator Rescue training.

Wesley Harris completed 8 hours of EVOC Train-the-Trainer and 16 hours of Low Angle Rope Rescue Technician.

Matt Austin, Deagan Cook and John Taylor each completed 16 hours of Low Angle Rope Rescue Technician.

Braden Cooper completed 16 hours of Passenger Vehicle Extrication Technician.

Training like this helps our members continue building the knowledge and hands on skills needed to safely and effectively respond to emergencies in our community and surrounding areas. We appreciate each of them for taking the time to continue their training.