Manassas Fire and Rescue Promotes 4, Hires 2

Four standing members and two new hires of the Manassas Fire and Rescue Department appeared before Manassas City Council Monday during a special recognition, promotion and swearing-in ceremony held in their honor.

Karl Sampson, Steve Schmid, Ray Daubenberger and Matt Fox were all promoted to master technicians; combined, they have some two decades of fire experience.

Sampson began his fire service career in 1994 as a junior member of the Occoquan, Woodbridge and Lorton (OWL) Volunteer Fire Department, according to city officials. He served Spotsylvania County for six years as a career firefighter before joining the City of Manassas in 2008.

That was the same year Shmid, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, joined the City of Manassas. He begin his fire career in 1997 at Stonewall Jackson Volunteer Fire Department. After that, he spent four years as a U.S. Marine explosives technician.

Schmid also holds a Associate of Applied Science degree in Emergency Medical Services from Northern Virginia Community College.

Daubenberger began his firefighting career in 2003 as a volunteer for Prince William County. He was hired by the City of Manassas in 2006, the same year he was awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce and was named the Dale City Firefighter of the Year.

Fox began is fire and rescue career as a fresh-faced 16-year-old with Lake of the Woods Volunteer Fire Department.  

In 2005, he became a career firefighter with Orange County, VA. and in 2010 he joined the City of Manassas Fire and Rescue Department.

In the footsteps of these four are Firefighter/Medic Jessica Merrill and Firefighter/EMT Adam Potter who were both hired on July 16, city officials said Monday.

Both have completed the five-week orientation and training program and are now on active service on the fire apparatus and medic units.

Merrill and Potter will now undergo further mentoring and evaluation during their one-year probationary period.

Meanwhile, the newly-promoted master technicians are charged with mentoring the younger firefighters in the department and serving as second-in-command for their shifts and assisting the lieutenant in managing programs and activities.

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