Prince William Co. family hoping to get elementary school named after fallen firefighter

DUMFRIES, Va. - Prince William County could possibly make history by naming one of its newest elementary schools after a fallen firefighter.

Firefighters are best known for being fearless and Kyle Wilson was no exception.

"The last thing I said to him was, 'You're so lucky. A firefighter in Prince William County, there are no high-rise buildings,'" said Kyle's father, Bob Wilson. "Well, I learned a lot. You don't need a high-rise building to lose your life. He was fearless."

Nearly a decade after being killed fighting a fire, the county is considering naming an elementary school after Wilson, who was respected for his work on and off the job.

"He went to schools to help teach kids fire safety," said the firefighter's father. "We have a walk every year in honor of Kyle at Hylton [High School] because that money we raise goes to an endowment in his name at George Mason [University]. He was a firefighter, but he was a hero to a lot of people."

Bob Wilson said the county could decide by the end of this month on naming its newest elementary school - Kyle Wilson Elementary School.

"When he passed away, his was the first line of duty death in Prince William County's history and the only one since then also," Wilson said.

From the family's home in Woodbridge, Wilson said his son never wanted recognition.

"This new school that we're trying to get named in his honor is off the main road, it's a one-way street, it is secluded, it is hidden behind a housing development, which I think is ironic because sort of like a firefighter, low-key, behind the scenes, no recognition, but serves a great purpose," said Wilson.

A public meeting Tuesday night to discuss this topic was canceled due to the weather, but a public discussion will take place sometime next week.

From there, a committee will present their findings and what the public thinks about this to Prince William County officials. They will then take a vote and decide.

This family has tried at least two other times to get this done and they are hoping that it finally goes through this time.