JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The West Valley Volunteer Fire Department’s (WVVFD) fire hall is currently under a major overhaul alongside adding in new additions to make the facility be used for public events.
William Adams, WVVFD’s fire chief and Commissioner of Whitwell’s city board, explained how the department is working to update the fire hall’s general structure. Renovations include repainting the fire hall’s interior walls, ceilings, and main doors, redoing the restrooms and kitchen, as well as installing epoxy flooring within the main lobby. Adams stated that all funds for the ongoing project were raised through donations, grants, and additional funds earned from the department’s public events.
The project is the first major renovation since 1992. The fire department aims to update the entire facility across the board, including touching up the main garage where all fire equipment and trucks are stationed. The department has already installed brand new garage doors for the facility, with both colored in green to represent the department’s signature green color.
“We raised all the money for this. Everything we’re spending is money we have raised, and we have not taken anything out of general funds to do this,” said Adams.
A brand new addition that the department is adding is a community patio that upon completion can be publicly used for birthday parties and gatherings. A donation of dirt was made by Benny and Melissa Pickett . Shannon Dodson of Dodson Tree Service helped to level out the patch of dirt for the patio. The patio will feature two picnic tables and a grill that the department has already raised the funds to purchase, and the patio will be free of charge for the public to use via reservation.
Among other ideas include decorating the fire department’s signature rock perched on the facility’s property, where it will display both the name of WVVFD and the year it was first established.
Several items and décor will remain within the facility, including a banner that symbolizes a concert hosted in 1992 that included a live performance from singer/songwriter Danny Shirley and his band Confederate Railroad. The funds earned from the concert helped make WVVFD what it is today.
“The money that he put for that concert built this fire station,” said William.
William noted that the department is also looking ahead to add in new air packs and bottles, as well as a new cascade air system for the fire department to use while on duty, adding to the new changes being made towards the WVVFD fire hall in Whitwell.