The West End Volunteer Fire Department is one of 150 volunteer departments across the nation selected to receive a $10,000 grant through the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program.

The program, conducted in collaboration with the National Volunteer Fire Council, awarded a total of $1.5 million to help volunteer fire departments obtain equipment designed to improve responder safety, effectiveness and service to their communities.

For the WEVFD, the grant will provide a piece of equipment that may not look as dramatic as a fire engine or a new set of hoses but is just as important to firefighter safety. The department plans to purchase a specialized extractor washing machine and drying closet for its new turnout gear. 

The new turnouts were purchased through a $302,000 FEMA grant and properly caring for that protective equipment is essential to maintaining its fire-retardant properties. Just as important, the specialized washing equipment will allow firefighters to clean their turnout gear at the fire hall rather than taking contaminated clothing home.

Firefighters can be exposed to carcinogens and other hazardous substances during fires. Properly cleaning their gear at the station helps keep those contaminants out of their homes and away from their families.

For WEVFD Fire Chief Frank Magee, the grant is another important step in protecting the volunteers who protect the community. 

“Our volunteers are dedicated to answering the call, no matter the hour or circumstance,” Magee said. “Ensuring they have effective equipment is essential to keeping them safe on every call. We sincerely thank State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council for their generous support that will help us better protect both our responders and our community.”

The West End Volunteer Fire Department has been protecting its district since the early 1960s. The department serves a population of approximately 350 permanent residents, and in a community that size, volunteering to help neighbors is often simply part of being a neighbor. Almost everyone of able body and age has spent some time serving with the department over the years. The number of volunteers fluctuates between nine and 18, with 14 firefighters currently on the roster. 

“And we’re always recruiting,” Magee smiled. For many west end families, it’s a tradition.

But without ongoing community exposure, they could find themselves in a pickle so they host community events for the public to see the equipment and meet the firefighters. 

Despite its small size, the department stays busy. The WEVFD averages approximately 120 calls a year, although there have been years when that number has climbed above 200. The majority of calls involve vehicle and truck wrecks or vehicle and truck fires, with many of those emergencies occurring during the winter months. The department also responds to house fires, wildland fires, medical emergencies and welfare checks. 

Each call means volunteers leave their homes, jobs, families or whatever else they happen to be doing and head toward an emergency. That makes keeping those volunteers safe particularly important.

The $10,000 State Farm grant comes at a time when volunteer fire departments across rural America are facing the challenge of providing modern equipment with limited budgets. The State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program is in its third year and is designed to help departments obtain equipment that might otherwise be difficult to afford. 

For Magee’s Team, the extractor and drying closet will complement the department's new turnout gear and give firefighters a proper way to care for that gear after it has been exposed to smoke, fire and other contaminants. It is an investment not only in equipment, but in the health and safety of the people who answer the call. 

Volunteer fire departments remain an essential part of public safety in rural and small-town communities, where a relatively small group of people can be responsible for responding to a wide variety of emergencies. To learn more about the WEVFD, contact Frank Magee, West End Volunteer Fire and Rescue Fire Chief and Chairman, Board of Trustees at (208) 651-7700.

The West End Volunteer Fire Department displays a banner announcing that they are a recipient of a grant from the State Farm Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program. (Photo by Brooke Lincoln)