Big thank you to Girl Scout troop 51114 for bringing some yummy cookies to the firehouse! We hope you enjoyed your tour of the firehouse and our tower ladder fire truck! We enjoyed the cookies! 😁
Two kids got a very special ride to school this morning! A lucky family won a raffle prize for a ride to Our Lady of Hope Catholic School in a fire truck, and this morning was the day! The kids told us ‘this is the best day ever!’ We’re pretty sure it was the fire truck, not the half day of school today. 😀
Love this!!! ❤️❤️ What a cool experience for some great kids! Thank you to Sterling Volunteer Fire Company!
Thank you SVFC!!! Their faces say it all!
The ride of a life time😊🔥
FUN!!!
In Memory of Chief Bob Watts
We wanted to provide some additional information with regards to the recent passing of former SVFC Chief Bob Watts. Per Chief Watts' wishes, there will be no funeral service/procession.
Additionally, we wish to share with you that a Go Fund Me page has been setup to help support the family of Chief Watts in the aftermath of his passing, which has unfortunately left his family in hardship. The link is www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-bob-watts
Please do not send checks to the SVFC for the above fundraiser. Given our nonprofit status, we cannot be an intermediary for this support need.
Obituary
Bob Watts was born in Nodaway, Iowa on September 18th, 1938. His father was Lyle V. Watts and his mother Mildred Watts. Bob had a younger brother, Charlie Watts. He lived in Iowa until 1945, when he moved with his family to Washington D.C. and funny enough they ended up on Iowa Avenue. A few years later, they moved to Falls Church, Virginia where he spent the remainder of his childhood years.
When Bob grew up, he honorably served in the United States Army from August 16th, 1957 to August 15th, 1960. He served as a Military Police Officer and was stationed in Korea. After his service, he worked for the US government up until 1993.
He also served his community for 54 years as a volunteer fire fighter at the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company in Virginia. Bob joined the department shortly after it was formed in 1966. Bob rose through the ranks to be Fire Chief for 4 years, between 1978-1980 as well as serving on the Board of Directors for a number of years. After his tenure of being Chief, he served the remaining years as Chief Engineer up until 2022.
Bob was best known for his mechanical knowledge and skill and was the primary engineer responsible for maintenance and repair of the entire SVFC fleet for decades. He was also directly involved in the development of the technical specifications for new apparatus and equipment.
Bob Watts was an institution in Sterling VFC and he leaves a legacy of contributions for over 50 years of service that helped shape the fire company from its earliest days.
Bob Watts was married to Bernadette Amos-Watts for 22 years. Together they had a beloved son, Merrell Amos-Watts. Bob Watts also had two more beloved children from a previous marriage; a son, Robert "Bobby" Watts and a daughter, Melissa "Missy" Watts. From his children came 4 wonderful grandchildren. From oldest to youngest, they are Stephanie Watts, Samantha Oerlty, Kelsey Oertly and Robby Watts.
Thank you for your service!
Prayers for Peace for his family. Great man!
Our prayers and thoughts are with his family. May he RIP 🙏.
Bob will be dearly missed. He was the most pleasant person when I met him at Joe's Pizza for the first time and would see him at the fire department or on the road. He was full of knowledge and didn't know him personally but knew he loved what he did for our sterling community. Thank you Bob and prayers too his family.
RIP Bob!!
🙏🏽
15 years ago today SVFC volunteers and many members of the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue system, career and volunteer, responded to a house fire in Leesburg. The events of that afternoon resulted in significant changes in how we operate in the county and serve as a reminder that our training can save lives, sometimes our own. Some of the Sterling volunteers who responded that day are still serving today.
