January 17, 2009 at 4:06 A.M. the Sissonville VFD received notification of a House Fire on Jenkins Dr. Engine 261 was first arriving unit to find a Double Wide Trailer with a very large attached garage approximately 50% involved.
There were no hydrants within approximately 1 1/2 Miles of the scene, so all water used had to be brought in with Tankers from the Sissonville VFD, Malden VFD, and Chesapeake VFD.
Tuesday morning just before Rush Hour Traffic on January 13, 2009, the Sissonville VFD was dispatched for a Two Vehicle Crash on Sissonville Dr. in front of NAPA Auto Parts which is near the intersection of Starlite Dr. One Vehicle was on its side and another was in the roadway on its wheels – One Person was entrapped in that vehicle. We used the Jaws of Life to remove the door and roof of the vehicle to remove the driver. He was taken to the hospital by KCEAA. Sissonville Drive (Route 21) was shutdown for at least an hour.
News Articles: WSAZ.com
The Sissonville VFD held their Fire Line Officer and Board of Directors Elections on January 5, 2009.
Results are as follows:
Captains:
Lieutenants:
Training Coordinator:
President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Members at Large:
The Sissonville VFD saw 2008 as a very busy year responding to 559 calls for help not including the 1000 +/- First Responder Medical Calls we were dispatched for. This was 100 calls more than any year since 2004.
We responded to 40 Structure Fires (more than the past two years), 259 Auto Accidents (more than any year since 2002 when we started keeping track on this Website), 16 Vehicle Fires, 10 Rescues, 10 Brush Fires, 12 Fire Alarms, 40 Assistance Calls, 95 Investigations, 50 Other Fires (trash, etc.), 3 Searches for Missing Persons, and 9 Moveup or Standby calls for our Mutual Aid Departments.
In 2008, we received at least four grants:
Just hours after posting a story regarding an update on the Route 21 bridge closure which limits our access to calls on Allens Fork Rd, we were dispatched for a Fully Involved Trailer Fire on Allens Fork Rd.
Engine 262 was first arriving unit reporting a Fully Involved Trailer on the ground. Access was limited due to a low weight limit bridge. The home was completely destroyed. The Red Cross is assisting the family.
News Articles: WSAZ.com
The bridge closure on Route 21 near the Jackson County line is still causing delayed response times of nearly 10 Minutes to Allens Fork Rd. residents and for Mutual Aid calls to residents on the lower areas of Jackson County, especially those on Middle Fork Rd.
The past 6 months since the bridge closed the Sissonville VFD has reponded to 9 calls for help (3 Auto Accidents, 2 Structure Fires, 2 Rescues, and 2 Other Fire Calls) not including the dozens calls for EMS and Police.
News Articles: WSAZ.com
On Sunday morning December 28, 2008 at approximately 6:35 A.M. the Sissonville VFD received a call for a Trailer Fire approximately 6 Miles out Derricks Creek Rd. Engine 261 marked en route just two minutes later and was the first arriving unit to report a Fully Involved Trailer on the ground. One Resident was trated at the scene by KCEAA for minor burns. The family is being taken care of by the Red Cross.
News Articles: WSAZ.com, WOWKtv.com, DailyMail.com
The Sissonville Fire Department received a call from Metro 911 at 1:17 A.M. on December 20, 2008 reporting a Vehicle had struck a trailer and the occupant was ejected. Fire units arrived scene to find a vehicle straight up and down on top of a trailer at Brookside Mobile Home Park. The Vehicle apparently left Route 21 and struck the residence trapping the driver inside. No one in the residence was hurt. The driver was transported to the hospital by KCEAA MEdic 269.
News Articles are available: WOWKtv.com
At 10:05 P.M. on December 15, 2008 the Sissonville VFD was notifed of a Structure Fire beside 7379 Sissonville Dr. which is near Legg Fork Rd. First arriving units reported a Two Story Residential Structure with fire through the roof. The residence was vacant and the windows and doors were boarded up due to it being the site of a former Meth Lab. This same house burnt two or three years ago and was rebuilt. The fire is considered suspicous and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.
News articles are available: WSAZ.com
The Sissonville VFD is proud to announce we have three additional Swiftwater Rescue Technicians on our roster. Chuck Carney, Bobby Fisher, and Scott Lowther recently spent three long days on the New River and Gauley River in Fayette County training with Rescue 3 International instructors from the Elite Swiftwater Institute. Thank you guys for your hard work.
Mountaineer Off-Road and Rodney Loftis and Son Contracting along with the Sissonville VFD are holding the 3rd Crawl 4 Kids on Saturday, October 11 2008, on Route 21 and Casdorph Rd in Sissonville, WV.
Download the Brochure in PDF Form.
The Sissonville VFD was recently awarded a new 2008 6×6 Polaris Ranger from U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, Inc. from their Operation Ranger program. As of right now the Sissonville VFD is the only agency in West Virginia and one of only 70 in the United States to receive an award this year. In years past Ghent VFD, Lumperport VFD, Glen Dale VFD, Harrison County OEMS, Mullens VFD, Williamson FD, and Wyoming County FD have been awarded.
Some Pictures of recent In-Service Training on Rodney Loftis’ property on Casdorph Rd. are below.
The fire department mailed out second notices to residences and businesses in the community regarding the annual donation drive. Many in the community may not realize that the fire department is impacted by the current economic situation just as much, if not more than those we serve. With diesel fuel at over $4.00 a gallon and the costs of utilities skyrocketing, maintaining the operational response level for the fire department gets more difficult every day. We need your support, plain and simple. Our firefighters answer over 500 calls for help every year from people in our community. Their training and dedication is second to none. Your tax deductible donation helps the department meet and grow with the emergency response needs of our community.
The 3rd Annual Sissonville Fire & Rescue School will be held March 6th, 7th & 8th and 13th, 14th & 15th , 2009. Next year’s fire school promises to be bigger and better than the past two (2) years with new classes and hands-on training classes that will challenge even the most experienced first responders. Post a comment here if you have any suggestions or ideas of how we can meet you and your department’s training needs. See ya there in March 2009!!!
Tri-State Photo, a high quality family owned photography business, and the fire department’s picture fundraiser partner for over fifteen (15) years, is back with the Sissonville Fire Department. Tri-State Photo will be taking pictures in the Sissonville area in March 2009. This fundraiser is separate and distinct from our annual donation drive and provides the department with funds for equipment, training, and other special projects. We listened to your feedback and we have brought Tri-State back so that you can get the quality family portraits you have come to expect and enjoy. More information on this fundraiser will be posted after the first of the New Year. We look forward to seeing you then.
Lieutenant Bill Arthur and his Wife Angel welcomed their first little girl into the world on Saturday, October 4. Madeline Brooke Arthur weighed 5lb, 15oz and was 19 inches long at birth. Congratulations Billy and Angel!
Fall Fire Season began on October 1 and will run through December 31. During this time burning is only legal between the hours of 4:00 PM and 7:00 AM. That means all fires MUST be fully extinguished by 7:00 AM or you will be in violation of the law and the WV Division of Forestry may issue you a citation.
A press release from the WV Division of Forectry is also available here.
On Monday, October 20, 2008 Firefighter Chris Boice welcomed his new daughter Megan Elizabeth Boice into the world. Congratulations Chris and Brittany!
The Sissonville VFD reveived a call for a Structure Fire at 9:39 AM, Monday, October 27, 2008 at 2051 Martins Branch Rd. The first apparatus arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished the fire. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department investigated the fire after extinguishment. According to a report in the Charleston Daily Mail it may have been started by a Meth Lab. The article in the Daily ail is as follows:
SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — A meth lab is believed to have caused a fire that engulfed an outbuilding near a Sissonville home.
Sissonville volunteer firefighters quickly put out the fire Tuesday afternoon at the property on Martins Branch Road.
They noticed suspicious materials and notified the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Sergeants J.D. Meadows and E.S. Drennan arrived and conducted a search, which turned up Coleman fuel cans, acetone cans, matchbooks, empty pseudoephedrine packages and other meth-making ingredients.
No arrests have been made. Meadows and Drennan are continuing to investigate.
At 10:04 AM on Wednesday, October 29 the Sissonville VFD received a call of a man trapped under a tractor and submerged in the water at a pond on the Golf Course at Edgewood Country Club at 2251 Derricks Creek Rd. First units arrived scene minutes later to find the man still trapped with his face barely above water. Fire Department members immediately scrambled to help the trapped man by entering into the water to initiate patient care and hooking up the winch on the Rescue Truck to remove the tractor from on top of the man. HealthNet was on Standby, but the closest one was in Huntington. After evaluation, the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority crews on scene decided to transport the male patient by ground to a CAMC facility.
Serveral news articles are available from the Charleston Daily Mail, WSAZ News Channel 3, and WOWK-TV Channel 13.
Charleston Daily Mail Article:
BREAKING NEWS: Tractor rolls over, traps man underneath in golf course pond
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two men were rushed to the hospital after a tractor flipped over an embankment into a pond.
Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department raced to Edgewood Country Club’s golf course off Derricks Creek Road today in response to a man trapped under a tractor in a pond.
Deputies have not released the names of the men.
Dispatchers relayed the call at 10:04 a.m., and the first fire truck arrived on the scene at 10:19 a.m., firefighters say.
A 50-year-old groundskeeper was doing maintenance work near the water hazard on the 13th hole when the embankment gave way under his tractor, causing it to topple over into the cold water, said Lt. Eddie Elmore of the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department.
The groundskeeper was pinned beneath it, completely submerged for a time, witnesses said.
Another man jumped into the water to help him and was also transported with a possibly broken leg, firefighters say. The man was able to help the groundskeeper keep his head above water.
Firefighters used the winch on their rescue truck to free the man, Elmore said.
There weren’t many golfers out. There were three fire trucks, three ambulances and a sheriff’s cruiser on the fairway. HealthNet was on standby from Huntington, Elmore said.
No information on the condition of the men has been released.
WSAZ Article:
Man Rescued After Pinned Under Tractor
SISSONVILLE, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A man was rescued after he was trapped under a tractor in a pond in Kanawha County.
It happened at about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday near hole 13 at the Edgewood Golf Course in Sissonville.
Lieutenant Eddie Elmore with the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department tells WSAZ.com it appears the man was cutting grass for the golf course when he got too close to the pond and the ground gave way, causing the tractor to go into the pond.
A man jumped in to try to help the victim, but he hurt his leg in the process, according to Elmore.
Metro 911 tells WSAZ.com that crews were able to get air to the man while trying to get him free.
Both men were taken to the hospital. No word yet how seriously they were hurt.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for more information.
WOWK Article:
Tractor Overturns in Lake in Kanawha County
SISSONVILLE – A man was rescued in Wednesday morning after the tractor he was riding overturned into a pond.
He had apparently been working at the Edgewood Golf Course when the tractor he was riding tipped over and went into the water.
It happened about 10:15 a.m.
Crews were quick to respond and were able to get air to the man while they worked to set him free. The man was taken to the hospital suffering from hypothermia.
On Wednesday, November 26, 2008 the Sissonville VFD along with KCEAA and KCSD were disdpatched to a 5-6 Vehicle Accident on I-77 with Possible Entrapment and Ejection. Upon arrival it was confirmed that only two vehicles were involved with no entrapment; however, the occupant of one vehicle was ejected. The Southbound lanes of I-77 and one Northbound lane of I-77 was shutdown for approximately 60-90 Minutes.
Information on the accident is available at WSAZ.com and WOWKTV.com.
On Monday, December 1, 2008 the Sissonville VFD was dispatched for a House fire at 3:12 A.M. at 1666 Legg Fork Rd. Units arrived scene with fire through the roof of the structure. Malden VFD and Chesapeake VFD assisted.
News articles are available at WSAZ.com and WVGazette.com
The Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department won a Troy-Bilt Snow Thrower in a contest sponsored by WCHS TV8 and WVAH Fox 11. The Snow Thrower will be used to clear the driveways and parking areas at the department’s three (3) fire stations as well as be made available to clear other public safety facilities in the area. The Snow Thrower is valued at well over $1,000.00. The fire department is always seeking and applying for grants and alternate sources of funding to help the department grow and meet the ever increasing needs of our community. If you, or someone you know, is aware of any grant aopportunities, please contact the Board of Directors at the Sissonville Fire Department at bod@station26.org. Working together we can build a stronger fire department and a more resilient community.
On Monday, December 1, 2008 the General Membership of the Sissonville VFD held their Fire Line Officer and Board of Directors Nominations. Fire Line Officers are elected every two years and Board of Directors members are held every year. Members will elect Officers and BOD Members on the first regularly scheduled meeting in January 2009. Nominees are (in alphabetical order):
LIEUTENANTS (THREE WILL BE ELECTED)
CAPTAINS (TWO WILL BE ELECTED)
TRAINING OFFICER / COORDINATOR (ONE WILL BE ELECTED)
PRESIDENT (ONE WILL BE ELECTED)
TREASURER (ONE WILL BE ELECTED)
SECRETARY (ONE WILL BE ELECTED)
GENERAL MEMBERS (FOUR WILL BE ELECTED)
At 11:43 A.M. Thursday, December 4, 2008 the Sissonville VFD along with KCEAA and KCSD was dispatched for a Single Vehicle Rollover with possible entrapment near the Edens Fork Exit of I-77 Souhtbound. KCEAA Medic 269 and KCSD Units were first on the scene confirming their was one patient entrapped that was confirmed DOA. Sissonville VFD fire units arrived moments later and extricated the victim from the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck.
News Reports with pictures and video are available: WSAZ.com, WOWKTV.com, WCHSTV.com, WVGazette.com, DailyMail.com
The Greater Sissonville Development Council has announced that a new website is up and viewable for the Sissonville area. The site is still in its infancy and work is being done to add pictures and features to the site to make it a showcase for our great community. The Greater Sissonville Development Council is an organization that strives to preserve and improve the physical, social, and economic health of the Greater Sissonville Community! For more information on the GSDC and the projects that it is actively involved in, please visit the website.
The Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department has been notified that it was awarded a United States Department of Homeland Security FIRE Act Grant for the purchase of a breathing air compressor and new ladders. The grant award of $33,491.00 will allow the department to replace a 1960’s vintage compressor and ladders that are more than 30 years old and have seen extensive service. This is the second FIRE Act Grant the department has received. The previous grant was for $123,000.00 to purchase new hose, air paks, and other essential equipment. The FIRE Act Grant process is a competitive grant process where fire departments from across the country apply for funding for projects that are deemed essential to Homeland Security. Departments must demonstrate need, solid fiscal management, active and ongoing training, and allow the equipment to be used in mutual aid situations if needed. The fire department has another grant application in to the Department of Homeland Security for the purchase of a new fire truck to replce a 1976 model and a 1982 model. That grant application is still pending. The department is also preparing to submit grant applications for the construction of a new main fire station that will be combined with a Senior Citizens Center and an ambulance station. To date, the Fire Department has secured over $400,000.00 in grant awards and equipment over the past ten (10) years. These grants are for equipment, training, and station improvements. If you, or someone you know are aware of any grants that the fire department may be eligible for, please send that information to mail@station26.org.
The Sissonville VFD received notification from Metro 911 of a Trailer Fire on Allens Fork Rd. at 3:05 P.M. on Saturday, December 14, 2008. The Southern Jackson VFD was immediatly notified to respond as well due to bridge construction on Route 21 near Middle Fork Rd. This caused a major delay of appromximately 10 Minutes due to the detour that has to be made to the Goldtown exit of I-77; however, it likely made no differerence in the outcome as neighbors who called into 911 said the trailer was fully involved in fire within Three Minutes of the call. Their were no injuries reported, but the family did lose a pet. The family had no insurance. If you would like to assist them with clothing or any other items please contact the Red Cross.
News articles and video are available at the following: WOWKtv.com
2009 was the busiest ever for the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department as we responded to 567 calls, with 102 of those coming in the month of December alone. We had 51 Structure Fires (27.5% increase from 2008), 225 Auto Accidents (13.1% Decrease), 28 Vehicle Fires (75% Increase), 10 Rescues (same as 2008), 23 Brush Fires (91.6% Increase), 22 Fire Alarms (83.3% Increase), 35 Assistance Calls (12.5% Decrease), 115 Investigations (21% Increase), 53 Other Fires (6% Increase), 2 Searches for Missing Persons (33% Decrease), and 2 Move Up / Standby Requests (77.7% Decrease).
We have eight new members in 2009, two of whom were previous members. They have all completed their training and are already helping tremendously. The new members are Michael Oakley II, Dustin Taylor, Drew Pack, Christian Shamblin, Josh Matheny and Mark Jarrett. The two returning members are Sturgil Jones and William Strickland.
We ran 44 Mutual Aid Calls in 2009 assisting Tyler Mountain VFD 36 times, Southern Jackson VFD (Jackson County) four times and Route 34 VFD (Putnam County), Poca VFD (Putnam County), Loudendale VFD, and Charleston FD one time each.
In 2009, we also signed Mutual Aid Agreements with all of our neighboring fire departments for Automatic Mutual Aid on Structure Fires and Auto Accidents in some areas. This will allow us to receive the help needed for Structure Fires, especially during the daytime hours and will allow us to do the same for other departments. Agreements are as follows:
Frame VFD (Kanawha County Station 34): They run all Structure Fires with us along Aarons Fork Rd. and Cicerone Rd. with all side roads in between.
Institute VFD (Kanawha County Station 24): They run all Structure Fires with us along Woodward Dr. from the Charleston City Limits to Casdorph Rd. with all side roads in between.
Malden VFD (Kanawha County Station 3): They run all Structure Fires with us along Sissonville Dr. from the Charleston City Limits to the Jackson County Line. This includes most roads in between.
Poca VFD (Putnam County Station 600): They run all Structure Fires with us along the Kanawha County portions of Harmons Creek Rd, Dry Branch Rd. and Bronco Ln. We will run all Structure Fires with them along Poca River Rd. and Harmons Creek Rd. with all side roads in between.
Route 34 VFD (Putnam County Station 400): They will run all Structure Fires with us along Derricks Creek Rd. from Second Creek Rd. to the Putnam County Line, Second Creek Rd. from Harry Dr. to Derricks Creek Rd., Frogs Creek Rd. from Tanner Fork Rd. to Derricks Creek Rd., Allens Fork Rd. from Trace Fork Rd. to the Putnam County Line, Kellys Creek Rd. from Our Way Rd. to the Putnam County Line, McClane Pike (Route 34) in the Kanawha County portions between Heizer Creek Rd. and Derricks Creek Rd. and the portions of Dog Fork Rd. and Cunningham Rd. that are in Kanawha County. We are third due on all responses to their area from Heizer Creek Rd. to the Jackson County Line.
Tyler Mountain VFD (Kanawha County Station 23): This agreement has actually been on file since 2004, but updated in 2009. We run all Auto Accidents and Fires with Station 23 along Rocky Fork Rd. with all side roads in between. They run all Structure Fires with us on Martins Branch Rd, Kellys Creek Rd to Our Way Rd, and Frogs Creek Rd. to Tanner Fork Rd. and Woodward Dr. from Casdorph Rd. to the end with all side roads in between.
Walton VFD (Roane County Station 300): They will run all Structure Fires with us on Cicerone Rd. from the Poca River Rd. intersecion to the Roane County line. We will run all Structure Fires and Auto Accidents with them on Ambler Ridge Rd. from Kettle Rd. to their current boundary with Gandeeville-Harmony VFD, this will include Kettle Rd., Straight Creek Rd, Cicerone Rd and Harmony Rd. with all side roads in between.
