Sep 3, 2018 3 min read

Steve Emery admits to being just a bit worried. His concerns could be alleviated, though, if he could find a fire engine to borrow for about six months.

Emery, who has been the West Finley Volunteer Fire Co. chief for 29 years and a member for 41 years, said the department has to send its 1997 Spartan fire engine out for a total refurbishment in November. The work on the truck is expected to take about six months.

The fire station is on Majorsville Road in the far, southwest corner of Washington County. It covers a 50-square-mile area of West Finley Township and another 25 square miles in East Finley Township.

“We are in the farthest corner of the county,” the chief said. “And that scares me.”

Emery said the two closest fire departments, Dallas (W.Va.) and Richhill, Greene County, are each about seven miles away. In Washington County, the closest fire departments are in Claysville, West Alexander and Morris Township (Prosperity), and are 10 to 12 miles away.

“All those departments would be there to help if we had a structure fire,” Emery said. “But it may take some time to get to us. We could start the fire fight with our tanker, but we could be on the scene alone for about 30 minutes waiting, depending on the time of day.”

“I just want to protect the people,” the chief added. “I am not looking for sympathy, just someone to reach out and help us.”

When several frack trucks caught fire several months ago, Emery said the department’s engine was going nonstop for more than four hours, showing how vital it is for the firefighter effort.

Claysville offered to lend one of its engines, but it is about 5 inches too big to fit in West Finley’s station. Since the loan would be during the winter months, Emery does not want to keep it outside where it would be exposed to the cold weather.

Emery said with winter approaching, there is a chance for more fires caused by things like Christmas trees or wood-burning stoves. He said snow-covered roads also will be an issue, adding the forecast calls for a brutal winter.

Although the engine in the truck has relatively low miles, Emery said it needs a lot of different things done to it. The metal will be stripped bare to remove corrosion, and the tank that holds water will be repaired.

All the lights will be switched to LED and meet state Department of Transportation specifications. The truck also will meet National Fire Protection Association standards.

The cost of the work will be about $162,000 to $163,000, about half the cost of purchasing a new truck.

The department is also selling a lottery calendar for November that will help pay for the refurbishment.

Anyone interested in purchasing a calendar or who can help the fire department locate an engine to borrow can call Emery at 724-554-0679.