Northfork WV Fire Department Reopens Fire Marshal Shutdown Firefighters

July 26 -- After voluntarily shutting down in March due to outdated equipment discovered during an investigation by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Northfork Volunteer Fire Department reopened Wednesday morning, according to a news release from the fire marshal.

Over the past four months, the department invested in new airpacks — the breathing apparatuses used by firefighters in structural fires — and sent all its trucks away for upgrades and maintenance, said John Adams, who began serving as chief of the Northfork VFD a little over a month ago.

While everything is up-to-date now, Adams said the repairs were pricey, but was uncomfortable naming an exact cost. They were paid for through the department’s general fund, which consists of money granted quarterly to the department by the state, as well as other money fundraised or donated to the department.

In April, for 2018’s first quarter, Northfork VFD was granted about $14,150 by the state Treasurer’s Office, the same amount as nearly every other fire department in the state. For 2018’s second quarter, Northfork VFD is listed as ineligible to receive its quarterly funds — about $12,640 — per a directive from the state fire marshal, due to the department’s violations.

When volunteer fire departments are found to be not in compliance with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, they have 90 days to resolve any violations before the funds are allocated away from the department, said Gina Joynes, deputy treasurer and spokeswoman at the Treasurer’s Office. Joynes said it is at the fire marshal’s discretion to reinstate funds for the third quarter. The Fire Marshal’s Office was unavailable for comment Wednesday afternoon.

While expensive, Northfork Mayor Carol Sizemore said the repairs were worth it, especially when it comes to reinstating fire and emergency response services in that portion of McDowell County.

“That money from the state — you have to use it for the purpose it’s meant for, you can’t just throw a party with it, and this was a worthwhile use of those funds. Some of those [repairs] were things that needed to be done for a while anyway,” Sizemore said. “We have a large coverage area out of Northfork, and having them back up and running, it’s going to relieve some of the other stations that stepped up to help in the last few months, and ensure all members of our community are safer.”

When the Northfork VFD shut its doors in March, volunteer fire departments in neighboring towns — including Anawalt, Bramwell, Keystone, Kimball and Mataoka — stepped up to protect the areas Northfork would usually cover.

“Because of them, there was not a call that went unanswered while we took care of things,” said Gary Dove, president of the Northfork VFD’s board of directors. “They worked hard and stepped up for us, and we wholeheartedly appreciate them for that.”

Northfork VFD is located near trailheads for the Hatfield-McCoy trails in McDowell County, meaning it can have a distinct geographical advantage over other fire departments in the area when it comes to responding to injury or rescue calls on the trails, Dove said.

“We do a lot of ATV rescues on the trails. We have the equipment for it, the training for it and the experience,” Sizemore said. “We have the know-how to help.”

So far this year, two people have died in riding incidents on those portions of the trails — one in April and one in May — reinforcing to Adams the importance of servicing the region.

“We do more than just house fires and car wrecks. We go all over, we do a little of everything around here,” Adams said. “We’re glad to be back out there, I know everyone at the station is. We’re grateful to be helping the community and we plan to keep doing that for a long, long time.”