BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Inez Volunteer Fire Department (IVFD) was honored by Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty and the Fiscal Court on Thursday in recognition of its 70 years of service to the community.
The celebration took place before the Fiscal Court meeting, where Fire Chief Lee Gauze, Assistant Chief Nick Endicott and Captain Clyde Adams were present.
Chief Gauze has led the department for over 20 years and has been a member for much longer. He and his colleagues received high praise from Lafferty.
“A group of citizens got together and formed the Inez Volunteer Fire Department,” Lafferty said. “The late John Crum was instrumental in that. And, of course, it has taken many others – too many to mention today – but John Crum, his son Frankie Crum, Keither Endicott and Rex Endicott.”
The IVFD’s history began on a fall evening in 1954 when John Crum witnessed a fire that destroyed a home and a neighboring church. This event motivated him to establish the fire department, where he became the first fire chief.
The department started with a small team and grew significantly by late 1956, funding “Engine 1,” a new 1956 Howe Ford Fire Engine for $11,375.
In 1956, a large alarm siren was installed on the Martin County Courthouse to alert firefighters. It also attracted residents as spectators. However, the siren posed risks, sometimes knocking people off the courthouse wall with an unmanageable hose line.
From its inception until 1975, the department operated on $23,000 sourced from fundraising and private donations. Supported by the Fiscal Court and the Martin County Women’s Club, the fire department saw significant changes in 1975. The biggest change was the construction of a new, two-story brick fire station behind the Martin County Health Department. Before this, Chief Crum housed the department’s engine in his garage at Crum Motor Sales in downtown Inez.
In 1976, the department acquired a new Ford Fire Engine using coal severance tax funds.
Today, the IVFD operates from an 8,000-square-foot, four-bay fire station on Main Street, which was completed in 2017 at a cost of over $600,000. IVFD operates three fire stations and covers 164 square miles. It manages five fire engines, two rescue apparatuses, one aerial apparatus, one brush fire apparatus, a water rescue boat, a regional hazardous materials response asset, and a UTV.
Despite the evolution and rising costs of fire services, the department’s core mission remains unchanged. The dedication of the original members continues with current firefighters, who face challenges similar to those encountered by Chief Crum and his team in the mid-70s.
A symbol of its history, Engine 1 remains and is now used solely for parades and demonstrations.
“It’s an honor to have them with us today,” said Lafferty. “I understand that last year alone they serviced over 220 calls, not just here in the City of Inez but throughout Martin County. We couldn’t be more proud and honored to have them with us.”
Lafferty and the magistrates gave the firefighters a standing ovation and presented them with “first-responder American hero” medallions.
