WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Prince William County Fire and Rescue, under fire for not having enough manpower during a fatal blaze last year, stands to receive a staffing boost of dozens of firefighters in the county’s $913 million budget.

Even as supervisors debated a plan by Chairman Corey Stewart to cut $2 million in the department’s budget and eliminate six of the proposed positions, the county is preparing to invest heavily — up to 54 positions — in a department officials say has been undermanned for years.

Following an exhaustive, eight-month department report into the death of firefighter Kyle Wilson last year, Fire and Rescue

Chief Kevin McGee has made expanding the force a critical priority.

As house sizes have rapidly increased in the county, the department now wants to nearly double the number of responders to house fires from 17 firefighters to 31.

The county’s inspectors said the department’s 16-person initial response to the fatal 6,000-square-foot house fire in Woodbridge would have been deficient for even a 2,000-square-foot home.

The 450-person paid fire and rescue staff would climb to about 500 in County Executive Craig Gerhart’s proposed budget.

Stewart defended his planned cuts. “We need to do as much as we can to fund the fire department this year,” he said. “There is no question about that. The positions we are looking at [eliminating] would not impact the safety of the firefighters.”

Gerhart said he pared the original request of new positions down to the minimum number to address the department’s demands.

The positions Stewart highlighted to eliminate are five field battalion chiefs for all shifts to increase supervision over night and weekend crews, as well as one training officer.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com