Ceremony Set to Rename Martinsville Fire & EMS Headquarters in Honor of Chief J. Lloyd Gregory

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – A ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Martinsville Fire & EMS headquarters (Fire Station 1) on Church Street to officially rename the fire station in honor of former Chief J. Lloyd Gregory who passed away on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at the age of 84.

Gregory joined the Martinsville Fire Department on September 1, 1947 and was appointed chief of the department on July 1, 1968. He served as chief until his retirement on March 1, 1988.

Gregory was past president of the Virginia Fire Chief’s Association from 1976-1977, past member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, past member of the Virginia State Firemen’s Association and a member of the Southwest Virginia Firemen’s Association. He also was a certified fire service instructor and served on the Virginia Fire Services Council for many years.

He was appointed by the governor’s office in 1977 to serve as a member of the Advisory Legislative Commission to establish a State Fire Commission, which is now the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. He also assisted in the organizing and training of the volunteer fire departments in Henry County during the 1950s through 1960s and the Industrial Fire Brigades throughout the area.

“Everyone in the Fire & EMS Department really wanted to do something to honor Chief Gregory. He was a fine man, a great friend, and an outstanding leader. Members of City Council, specifically Councilman Danny Turner and Councilman Mark Stroud approached us about renaming a local landmark in his honor. After discussing the issue we all agreed that nothing could be more fitting than to rename our Fire & EMS headquarters in his honor,” said Martinsville Fire & EMS Chief Kenneth Draper.

The current Martinsville Fire & EMS headquarters at 65 West Church Street will be renamed and the proclamation is written so that if Martinsville’s Fire & EMS headquarters are moved to another location in the future this dedication will move on as well. “We don’t plan on moving our headquarters anytime soon. But if sometime in the future we were to build a new fire station or move for whatever reason we want to preserve Chief Gregory’s memory. With his many years of service and everything he’s done for the fire profession in Martinsville and Henry County, we feel that our headquarters should always bear his name,” added Draper.

Chief Gregory Building Dedication Agenda