BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LENORE, W.Va. — For nearly four decades, the Lenore Volunteer Fire Department has depended on ordinary people willing to do extraordinary work. That tradition continued this month as six volunteers completed Firefighter I certification, joining the ranks of those who have protected their community before them.

Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey “Skipper” Farris and fellow fire department members gathered recently to congratulate the newly certified volunteers. He said the certification took four months (120 hours of training) to complete. It included four modules in which trainees received both classroom and hands-on training. The course ended Feb. 22 with a live-burn event and a search-and-rescue exercise to test the trainees.

The newly certified Lenore recruits are Tony Sammons (Unit 412), Casey Hensley (Unit 422), Shelly Gillman (Unit 430), Lisa Sammons (Unit 434), Mike Pate (Unit 435) and Tabatha Hensley (Unit 442).

Farris, who followed in his father’s footsteps, said these recruits join ranks with several second- and third-generation volunteers currently serving the Lenore community. He said the firefighters take great pride in carrying on the tradition of their fathers and grandfathers.

Farris is hopeful that as long as there is a need for volunteer service, future generations will continue to forge the same path. He encourages anyone interested in joining the department to apply.

“You must be 18 years of age (16 to be a junior firefighter) and are required to fill out an application,” Farris explained. “Then, it’s presented to the members at a regular monthly meeting held on the first Sunday of each month. If accepted, there’s a committee appointed to check out the applicant. By that, I mean vetting them with the public and assuring they’re in good standing with the community we serve. We want to make sure they’re just a safe person to be around and a good fit for our department.”

Farris went on to say the department does not discriminate against anyone who has made mistakes in the past. Instead, they look at how they are in the present and what they want their future to become.

“Unless they have a really bad criminal record that would reflect badly on the department, we would do our best to give them a chance to be a part of something worthwhile,” he said.

With approval, the recruit begins a three-month probationary period to see how they perform during training and instruction. During that time, Farris said, senior firefighters set up training courses that include everything from traffic control to operating trucks, jaws-of-life extrication, hooking up to a water supply, pulling and rolling hoses, and many other necessary skills they must master. The training is strenuous at times, and during the first year, each member must attend and complete a Firefighter 1 class, which the department pays for in full.

“We make sure they are fully trained on each piece of equipment or completing each task by experienced members of our department before they’re ever allowed to assume those responsibilities,” Farris said. “Some of the first roles they’ll fill will be flagging traffic, setting up supply lines on fires, getting materials and tools off the trucks and being a help anywhere they’re needed.”

The Lenore department is one of 11 in Mingo County, with 10 of those being volunteer. Williamson has the only paid department.

“We do more than just firefighting and respond to car accidents,” explained Farris. “We assist ambulance personnel by providing lifting assistance when needed, we clear debris such as trees, rocks and slides from the roadway, we provide search and rescue for missing persons both on land and in the water, we set up landing zones when a patient is being air-lifted to a trauma center, and we perform rescues during disasters such as flooding. In reality, we show up for the community in any way we possibly can when a need arises.”

Farris said his department is blessed with steady public support. In return, the fire department gives back to the community by hosting several events each year for Easter, Fourth of July and Christmas. They plan to host their popular Easter egg hunt again this year, which is well attended by families from all over the local area.

Farris welcomes any questions about volunteering and encourages everyone to consider joining the fire department closest to where they reside.

“Volunteering is not for everyone, and we fully understand,” he remarked. “The majority of our members work full-time jobs and have families. They have children who are active in sports, and not everyone is going to be OK with missing games because you’re on a call or getting pulled away from a holiday dinner for an emergency. But for those that remain committed and know the importance of having a dependable, reliable and knowledgeable department ready to respond when it matters the most, we thank each and every one of you.”