The community of Westmoreland has been working toward building a new fire station for more than two decades. Now, thanks to federal funding, that goal is becoming a reality.
Westmoreland community members, city of Huntington officials, and United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) met Monday to dedicate the future home of the new Westmoreland fire station.
Sen. Capito, in a joint effort with former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), secured $4.2 million in federal funding to turn the project into a reality.
The original Westmoreland fire station was built in 1926, and according to Huntington Fire Department Fire Chief Greg Fuller, the building was beginning to show its age.
“The infrastructure’s in rough shape. The conditions inside the station do not support modern response posture. So, we’re just very pleased and very excited, very thankful that we’re able to move forward with this project that has been a long-term vision for the community, and a long-term vision for the city,” Chief Fuller said.
Sen. Capito said she knew how long the community of Westmoreland had been working toward building a new fire station, and she had to answer their call for help.
“The community has worked really hard, and those that have actually served in this fire station know that it’s well past due. So I think it basically says that I’m listening to the community and working with the community leaders to figure out how I can best help,” Sen. Capito said.
Chief Fuller said that while the old Westmoreland station has stayed in constant operation, it wasn’t designed for the modern firefighter. He said that the fire engine bays are too small to comfortably fit their modern engines, leading to slow exit and re-entry times when responding to emergency calls. This problem has been addressed with the new station by designing drive-through garages.
“This will hopefully get the first engine out the door more effectively, it will enhance our whole response posture. It’s a drive-through fire station, and as you know, in an emergency, seconds count,” Chief Fuller said.
Sen. Capito says that ensuring firefighters in West Virginia have access to top-tier facilities and new technologies is essential to protecting the communities they serve.
“I think community safety, first responders, not only do we need to respect them and train them very well, we have to give them the facilities, the equipment, and the technology to really meet the challenges of the future,” said Sen. Capito.
Huntington Mayor Patrick Farrell attended the dedication ceremony and spoke on just how big of a team effort it took to bring the Westmoreland community’s dream of a new fire station to life.
“To have Senator Capito here, to have our chiefs here, to have the community here, really is important. Because this is not just a one-person effort, this really is a partnership between our federal, state, local delegations, Wayne County and Cabell County, all coming together to really keep the community safe,” said Mayor Farrell.
Construction on the new Westmoreland fire station is slated to begin in August and is expected to take around a year to finish.