Chief Andrew Ellington has spent nearly four decades serving the people of Farmville, Virginia, a community positioned at the crossroads of the Commonwealth.
He began his career in public safety in 1987 as a dispatcher with the Farmville Police Department. After volunteering as a firefighter, he entered law enforcement in 1989, beginning a 39-year career that would see him rise through every supervisory rank in the department.
He established the agency’s first narcotics unit and spent roughly 20 years working narcotics, including serving on a DEA Task Force. In 2010, he returned to uniform patrol as a lieutenant, advanced to captain, and ultimately became Chief of Police, a position he has held for the past decade.
Today, Chief Ellington leads a full-service agency staffed with 27 sworn officers and supported by 2 civilian employees. Operating 24/7, the department protects a town that sits along U.S. 460 and U.S. 15, drawing steady traffic from Charlottesville, Danville, Lynchburg, and Richmond. Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College bring year-round activity, while major events — including the Heart of Virginia Festival, Juneteenth celebrations, Rock the Block, and Fourth of July festivities — attract thousands.
In 2016, Farmville hosted the vice-presidential debate, an operationally complex event that underscored the importance of interoperable, resilient communications and coordinated public safety response.
Introducing broadband to Farmville Police operations
Over the course of his career, Chief Ellington has witnessed communications evolve from pagers and pay phones to advanced mobile broadband capabilities. One of the most significant technological advancements for the department has been adopting FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband network established by Congress and overseen by the federal government.
Chief Ellington took a close look at the network’s capabilities before making the transition. “When FirstNet first came out,” he said, “I told myself we would probably never go over to it.”
But after studying the network and evaluating its operational benefits, he changed course.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” he explained. “People don’t like change, but if you take a good hard look at FirstNet and give it a chance, you won’t regret it.”
Today, FirstNet plays a critical role in Farmville’s daily operations and large-scale event planning. The department relies on priority and preemption capabilities during high-traffic events, resilient connectivity when commercial networks are congested, secure mobile data access for officers in the field, and flexible usage-based solutions that help protect limited public-sector budgets.
The network’s value became unmistakable during a nationwide outage that impacted a major commercial carrier. Chief Ellington recounted, “When another network went out across the nation, FirstNet was up and running. That tells you something.”
Partnerships are critical to planning and communications
Beyond reliability, Chief Ellington emphasizes the importance of partnership and proactive outreach before major events and support when the community needs it most. “To have the backing of the government to want to provide something like this — it’s just incredible.”
As Farmville grows and hosts larger, more complex events, Chief Ellington sees connectivity not just as a convenience, but as foundational to officer safety and operational readiness. Looking ahead, he believes public safety agencies must continue embracing purpose-built technology that prioritizes first responders and evolves alongside emerging challenges.
For Farmville, FirstNet is more than a network, it is infrastructure for the future. And under Chief Andrew Ellington’s leadership, the department stands ready to meet what comes next: connected, prepared, and committed to protecting the community it serves.
