Sparta, Va. – Fort Anderson-Pinn-Hill (A.P. Hill) Conservation Law Enforcement Officers (CLEOs) and Firefighters joined Emergency Personnel from Caroline County, Virginia State Police, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, and more to educate and demonstrate at Sparta Volunteer Fire Department’s Fire Station Number Four for the annual National Night Out. Fort A.P. Hill’s close relationship with community partners is essential for ensuring seamless integration in the event of emergencies or natural disasters, and for being a good neighbor.
An eight-point white-tail deer isn’t what little children were expecting to see when they arrived at National Night Out at the Sparta Volunteer Fire Department on the evening of August 5, 2025, but they curiously approached and suddenly halted in bewilderment as it calmly turned its head and wagged its tail, mere steps away from them.Conservation Law Enforcement Officer Lieutenant Justin Fottler assured the kids the deer was friendly; it wasn’t even alive. He and CLEO Mark Petro explained how our robotic decoy helps to prevent poachers from hunting illegally on the installation, preserving the whitetail at a healthy population and preventing illegal trespassing on the installation, essential to our training mission. Not only the children were impressed; many of the parents, and other presenters made it a point to come see “that deer everyone is talking about.”
Meanwhile, Fort A.P. Hill Firefighters shuffled children through our smokehouse simulator trailer; teaching kids how to escape from a home if a fire were to occur at their residence. This trailer is a mock-up two-story home with a staircase; rear deck and escape ladder; and back and front doors. The trailer is filled with non-toxic smoke and the children are taught to crawl low and quickly to the nearest exit and leave immediately, assisting anyone littler than themselves. Some of the children enjoyed the smokehouse so thoroughly, they repeated the simulation dozens of times, laughing and giggling as they chose a different escape route each time.
“With over 23 years as a military law enforcement officer and emergency service professional, I think it is important to understand that National Night Out is about strengthening the relationship between residents and the emergency service professionals who serve them by creating positive face-to-face interaction. For the Fort A.P. Hill DES, participating in the 2025 Caroline County National Night Out is about demonstrating a continuing commitment to our county partners and to make both positive and impactful contributions to the community where we are able.” said Jason Taylor, Director of Fort Walker Emergency Services.
The Night Out was also an opportunity for the installation to engage with the community about Fort A.P. Hill’s critical mission as the premier Regional Training Center in the mid-Atlantic, supporting the readiness and lethality of the Army and the broader Joint Force. Local residents came away with a greater understanding of Fort A.P. Hill’s commitment to providing a unique environment for training opportunities; keeping our service members sharp and ready, in a manner few installations can accommodate; and keeping the community safe.
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