Sloan is new Buchanan District Fire Chief
Fincastle, VA — The Department of Fire & EMS is pleased to announce the appointment of I. Ray
Sloan to the position of District Fire Chief for Buchanan. Sloan, a long-time part of the fire and
EMS system in Botetourt, had previously served with the Buchanan department for over 17 years.
More recently, he had been serving as Chaplain for the Department of Fire &
EMS since 2016. Sloan began serving in the District Fire Chief position effective March 15, 2021.
“Since 1972, I have been involved in some type of volunteer service, said Sloan. “Giving back to
my community has been a very big part of my life. It is an honor to be selected to serve as Chief of
Buchanan.”
“I have known Ray and worked with him in various official and unofficial capacities for nearly 20
years,” said Chief of Fire & EMS Jason Ferguson. “He has a passion for the Buchanan community,
and I am excited to see many great things develop under his leadership.”
Prior to Sloan’s appointment, District Fire Chief John Crouch had overseen the Buchanan station
since 2018. Chief Crouch has been an integral part of helping to stabilize the volunteer
membership of the station. He also led the process to replace a 1980’s extrication truck with a
more modern piece of apparatus for vehicle crashes, including those along Interstate 81. Crouch’s
two-year term expired in late 2020, but he was willing to remain in the position until a process to fill
the vacancy could be completed.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Chief Crouch over the past few years,” said Chief Ferguson.
“We would like to express our sincerest appreciation to John and his family for his dedication and
efforts to making Buchanan a safer place.”
The Buchanan Volunteer Fire Company is a component of the coordinated Fire & EMS System for
Botetourt County. The District Fire Chief position is appointed by the County’s Chief of Fire &
EMS.
The station is always looking for volunteers to help serve the community. If you are interested in
joining the fire and EMS team, please visit botetourtfireems.org for more information.
–Submitted by Cody Sexton
