Without the heart of a volunteer, nothing works

You could not ask for much better in a structure fire call. That doesn’t happen by accident.

Tribune columnist Andrew Donaldson praises the Fayetteville Fire Department and its mutual aid departments for their fast response to the fire caused by a lightning strike at Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home recently. Over 90 percent of West Virginia’s firefighters are volunteers, he reports.

On June 8, as reported by The Fayette Tribune, the Fayetteville Fire Department responded to a fire at the Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home. From the initial 911 call about the lightning strike and smoke to the first unit arriving was seven minutes. Twelve minutes after the first unit arrived the fire was out, and three other departments had responded and staged out to assist. Everything worked exactly as it should. From citizens calling in, to the first responders’ quick arrival, rapid extinguishing of fire, and the automatic mutual aid that brought plenty of backup, you could not ask for much better in a structure fire call.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

Firefighters and first responders have always been esteemed in the communities they serve, especially in the post-9/11 era, as they should be. It takes much training, instruction, preparation, and leadership to funnel personal courage and the specialized equipment needed to respond to emergencies. Unlike New York City with its 10K-plus strong firefighting department, 65 percent of firefighters in America are volunteers of some type.