|
Updated: 6:36 AM Dec 7, 2007
Putnam Volunteer Fire Department
If a fire were to break out in your home tonight, how long would it take for firefighters to respond?
Posted: 11:01 PM Dec 6, 2007Reporter: Laurabree Austin Email Address: laurabree.austin@wsaz.com |
|
If a fire were to break out in your home tonight, how long would it take for firefighters to respond?
The answer depends on many things. But one of the things on the list is whether or not you have a paid fire department nearby.
This week one Kanawha County family learned that the hard way when their home in Mink Shoals was destroyed because it took volunteer fire fighters about half an hour to get there.
The only West Virginia counties that have paid firefighters in our region are Kanawha, Cabell, Mingo and Logan.
The rest are all volunteer and that includes Putnam County.
It's just one of those things everyone assumes. A volunteer fire department can do just as good a job but by not having any paid people at the station, it does mean there are certain times of the day, where there can be a real delay.
Erica Toler of Hurricane has enough to worry about with 2 kids, but she also just found out there are no paid firefighters in the entire county and that now adds to her worries.
She says “That’s very frightening. Very scary and I did not realize that.”
She says she just never thought about it but Hurricane Mayor Scott Edwards has. That’s because he's been a volunteer firefighter for the last 20 years. He's hoping in the next year the city will be able to hire a few firefighters full time.
He says “It's a great service you can provide to a city and the residence, let them know if they dial 911 and have a house fire. Maybe someone is trapped in the fire maybe they will get an immediate response. Not a delayed response.”
If there's a fire in Putnam County it's not uncommon for dispatch to send out 2 fire stations just to make sure they get enough firefighters at the scene. The county commission is keenly aware of the problem and the fire service board in fact says they're hoping to hire on some paid firefighters sometime this spring.
Mayor Edwards says “There's many times during the day when we can get people out. But there's also many times where it's a delayed response. Sometimes no one shows up and you have to rely on say Culloden and Winfield for a call in Hurricane or Teays Valley.
He also says it is simply a money issue all across the board. But as soon as Wal Mart and other businesses come to Hurricane he hopes to use some of that money to hire two or three firefighters full time.
One more thing you might not have thought of: Your home insurance rate.
We spoke with BJ Hill, an Allstate Agent in Hurricane and she says the cost does vary depending on how the fire department is rated. Totally volunteer department does get a lower rating, so it's also costing you more.
Latest Comments
Maybe you can track down Support Volunteer and threaten to sue them, Mark. I've seen you've been doing that a lot lately.
Support Volunteer: I just found out about this comment section tonight. You attribute comments to me that were made by someone else. You owe me a very public apology!
I do not think the trucks could be limited to the city, seeing as money donated to buy the current trucks is from the entire area
|
Popular Searches Powered by Local.com |
- Local Man Killed in West Virginia Turnpike Crash
- Police say Jail Escape Plan Foiled
- Slick Roadways Cause Accidents Throughout Kanawha County
- Charges Dropped Against Roane County Teacher Accused of Inappropriate Text Messages
- Huntington Utilizes Volunteer Police Officers
- Keeping Track of Sex Offenders in Your Community
- The Judds Plan to Reunite for Concert Tour
- Sheriff: Search Turns Up Pills From Florida; Couple Arrested
- Huntington Drug Dealer Sentenced
- Another Aborted Takeoff at Yeager Airport; Runway Reopens
- DuPont Plant in Belle Remains on Safety Stand-down
102 Comments - Sheriff: Search Turns Up Pills From Florida; Couple Arrested
54 Comments - Local Man Killed in West Virginia Turnpike Crash
52 Comments - Police say Jail Escape Plan Foiled
38 Comments - Another Aborted Takeoff at Yeager Airport; Runway Reopens
33 Comments - Charges Dropped Against Roane County Teacher Accused of Inappropriate Text Messages
30 Comments
![]() |
Full 2010 Olympic coverage from the WSAZ Olympic Zone. |
![]() |
Healthy Connections Find a local health professional |
| Healthy Tri-State Tips to live a healthier lifestyle |
|
| WV Lottery Nightly drawings and numbers |
|
| SOMC Very good things are happening here |
|
![]() |
A collection of resources here to help Moms weather the daily storms that come along with parenting. |
| Big Sandy For all your furniture and appliance needs |



