For a second week, The Hinton News would like to bestow honor on a local emergency service department. This week we honor Forest Hill Fire Department, Station 14, one of Summers County’s fully volunteer fire departments and its youngest.
The Forest Hill community did not have its own fire department until 1997. Prior to its opening the rural Forest Hill area was divided up and covered by departments in other communities, and sometimes subjected to delayed response times. Members of the community faced astronomical insurance rates purely because there was no fire response team within close proximity.
As the enormous need for firefighters in Forest Hill became apparent, some of the firefighters within the Talcott Fire Department who lived in Forest Hill understood something needed to be done. Those first responders, along with a handful of others, decided to break off from Talcott and form a new department in Forest Hill.
Those responsible for this advancement in the community were founding members Evelyn Bailey, Robert Bailey, Matthew Stalnaker, Timothy Lilly, Lisa Stalnaker, Dick Larson, David Light, and Johnny Wygal. These first responders were able to obtain new trucks, equipment, and expand the services they could offer such as search and rescue, rope rescue, swift water rescue, fire prevention, and fire fighting.
The Forest Hill VFD is staffed exclusively by volunteers who desire nothing more than being of help to the community. Volunteers receive no compensation for the personal time spent on training, truck maintenance, station upkeep, participating in local parades, and providing a first-aid station at events such as John Henry Days. These volunteers also frequently partner with Health Net, a medical flight company.
The station is located on Route 12 in Forest Hill. The Hinton News thanks the members of Forest Hill VFD for your personal time invested, dedication and hard work in Summers county!
