Fire Departments Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Two Ex-Corrections Officers Charged With Setting Fire To Former Governor’s Mansion

Two Beckley men who were employed by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation have been arrested in connection with the burning of a former governor’s home.

David W. Cole, 30, and Billy R. Workman Jr., 24, were arrested and charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy for their alleged role in burning down an unoccupied house in Beckley where the state’s former governor, Hulett Smith, once lived. Hulett died in 2012. Gov. Jim Justice’s family currently owns the house.

In a statement, Robert Cunningham, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, said the men were employees of Southern Regional Jail at the time of their arrests, but their employment has since been terminated.

The Southern Regional Jail has a troubled history. In November 2023, six former corrections officers at the facility were charged by a federal grand jury in connection with the death of an inmate.

The indictment alleges that all six defendants conspired to cover up the use of unlawful force by omitting material information and providing false and misleading information to investigators.

There were 13 reported deaths at the Southern Regional Jail in 2022, and more than 100 deaths in the state’s regional jail system in the past decade.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the Mabscott Fire Department responded to the fire on Oct. 20.

Mabscott Fire Department Chief, Tim Zutaul, made a request for a fire investigation to the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Hotline.

Officers assigned to investigate learned Cole was spotted in the vicinity of the fire, leading them to check the surveillance footage at the Go-Mart at 2100 Harper Road in Beckley.

According to the criminal complaint, the footage shows the two men purchasing brake fluid and beer on the night of the fire.

On Oct. 25, Cole was brought into the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office for a voluntary interview.

Authorities say he confessed to officers that he and Workman entered the structure, but he was the one who poured brake fluid into a styrofoam plate on the floor of the residence and then lit the plate on fire with a lighter he’d brought with him.

The men left the area in Workman’s vehicle but returned to park at a nearby tobacco shop where Cole recorded a video of the fire on his cell phone.

According to a press release, Cole was arrested on the evening of Oct. 25 by officers with the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office. He was arraigned on Oct. 26 in Raleigh County Magistrate Court where his bond was set at $100,000. He remains in custody at the regional jail.

Workman turned himself in to officers on Oct. 28 at Raleigh County Magistrate Court where his bond was set at $100,000. Workman was originally transported to Southern Regional Jail but has since been released on bond.

Leadership Of Kanawha County Volunteer Fire Department Resigns

Tyler Mountain Fire Chief Louie Robinson and all but one of the department’s Board of Directors resigned Thursday evening.

The latest resignation at a Kanawha County volunteer fire department comes from the very top.

Tyler Mountain Fire Chief Louie Robinson and all but one of the department’s Board of Directors resigned Thursday evening. Their resignations come after several members of the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (TMVFD) that serves Cross Lanes stepped down during a departmental training session in June.

In an open letter posted to the fire department’s Facebook page last month, the departed firefighters alleged leadership had filled vacant board positions without public discussion, mishandled equipment and funds and ignored safety concerns.

But a post on the department’s Facebook page Thursday night said the firefighters who had left in June had returned following the chief’s resignation.

The Kanawha County Commission released a statement Thursday evening acknowledging the changes and spelling out plans to provide continuing service to the community.

“We are aware of the resignation of the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Chief and Board of Directors,” the statement read. “We are offering our assistance to the fire department through our Director of Emergency Management and our Department of Emergency Management. Emergency Management has spoken with mutual aid partners to ensure there is continued coverage in the area. Additionally, the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been contacted for guidance. We are committed to doing everything we can to support the citizens of the community during this time.”

In response to comments about the future of the Board of Directors, the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page stated that board members will be temporarily appointed until elections are held in September.
On Friday morning, the remaining board member Barry Holstein created a new Facebook page for the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Board of Directors.

Volunteer Firefighters Stage Unexpected Walkout In Kanawha County

Several volunteer firefighters with the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department staged a walkout Monday. Other county agencies are now working to pick up the slack.

Several members of the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) resigned during a departmental training session Monday.

The fire department said Monday that seven of its 25 volunteer firefighters left their positions. But other media outlets have since reported that 10 or more firefighters staged a joint walkout, allegedly due to concerns with the fire department’s leadership.

The sudden departure has left the community of Cross Lanes, which is serviced by the Tyler Mountain VFD, with fewer first responders on standby. The fire department is now reviewing applications for new recruits.

Meanwhile, officials within the fire department and Kanawha County at large are working to ensure that Tyler Mountain VFD’s coverage areas remain protected.

Preexisting mutual aid agreements allow neighboring fire departments to contribute to emergency response efforts in Cross Lanes, the Kanawha County Commission said in a Monday statement.

Kanawha County officials and 911 dispatchers will help coordinate response efforts in the Tyler Mountain VFD’s coverage area, the statement said. This could include contacting fire departments based in the communities of Dunbar, Institute, Nitro, Sissonville and St. Albans to respond to some emergencies in Cross Lanes.

Dunbar Fire Chief Jason Burger said mutual aid agreements between the Tyler Mountain VFD and surrounding fire departments are long standing, and have helped first responders access additional support as needed during emergency response efforts.

“We have had a mutual aid agreement with the Tyler Mountain Fire Department for quite a while,” he said. “If they need help on a call, they ask for us and we respond.”

The Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department has helmed emergency response efforts for the Kanawha County community of Cross Lanes since 1951.

*Photo Credit: Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department*

Joe Stevens, public information officer for the Nitro Fire Department, said that the agreements make responding to emergencies in Cross Lanes familiar territory, and that the resignations do not pose an added burden to first responders in Nitro.

“This is nothing new,” he said.

Still, Burger said his department has minimal information on the nature of the walkout in Cross Lanes. He received word of the walkout Monday afternoon, but was not informed of the motivations behind it.

“I don’t have any insider information about what’s going on out there,” he said. “Hopefully whatever’s going on, cooler heads can prevail … because ultimately it’s the citizens that will suffer.”

The Tyler Mountain VFD did not respond directly to a request for an interview, but referred West Virginia Public Broadcasting to a departmental statement written Monday.

In that statement, James McDougle, president of the Tyler Mountain VFD board of directors, said that the fire department remains prepared to respond to local emergencies.

Likewise, Tyler Mountain Fire Chief Louie Robinson said his department is committed to continuing to serve the Cross Lanes community. He also thanked neighboring fire departments for their support.

The Tyler Mountain VFD will discuss the walkout during its regularly scheduled public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, held at 5380 Big Tyler Road in Cross Lanes.

For more information, visit the Tyler Mountain VFD’s Facebook page.

State, Federal Funds Support Fire Services, Water Infrastructure

Millions of dollars in state money will help the state fund fire services, as well as infrastructure improvements.

During his weekly media briefing Thursday, Governor Jim Justice announced the first distribution of $3 million dollars in funding for fire services in West Virginia.

“Our volunteer fire departments, gosh. What would we do without all these people?” Justice said. “People that are stepping up and volunteering and trying to help communities over and over and over. And they do, not only they save all kinds of lives, but to help us in every way imaginable.”

The funding comes after the passage and signing of Senate Bill’s 1022 and 1023, supplementing appropriations to the Division of Emergency Management, Growth County Fire Protection Fund, and County Fire Protection Fund.

The first round of funding contained in SB 1022 has been released through the County Fire Protection Fund, delivering resources to all 55 counties in West Virginia.

The funds can be used for Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to purchase equipment, education and training expenses or to offset costs associated with compliance with Insurance Service Office (ISO) recommendations, utility bills and insurance payments.

The governor also announced more than $10 million in federal funds for infrastructure advancements in three West Virginia communities.

“I’m thrilled to be able to share some news regarding critical infrastructure projects in West Virginia,” Justice said.

The funding from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency was secured through $2.8 million in matching funds from the state.

The projects in Randolph, Wyoming and Tucker counties will improve water infrastructure, including water treatment and extending water service to communities lacking a reliable drinking water source.

State EMS, Fire Department Leaders Address Job Vacancy, Mental Health Crisis

State fire and EMS leaders face challenges with job recruiting and retention, keeping stations open and maintaining mental health in the wake of experiencing overwhelming tragedy. They are asking for help from the West Virginia Legislature.

Emotions ran high on Tuesday afternoon, as the Joint Committee on Volunteer Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services heard stories of first responders’ continuing mental anguish in the aftermath of so many trauma response calls.

Jody Ratliff, the state Emergency Medical Services director, said a key to keeping people on the squads is addressing mental health issues. He said 988 Crisis Lifeline counselors are now working with traumatized EMTs and sending staff to ride along on serious ambulance calls.

Ratliff is also establishing regional critical debriefing teams throughout the state, responding when trauma and grief counseling are most needed.

“When there’s a major incident, we can deploy that team out to those areas, and they can actually do critical debriefing for it,” Ratliff said. “All these services, we’ve been able to pull off for free. So it’s not costing taxpayers a penny.”

Ratliff plans to eventually include firefighters in his trauma relief plans.

Randy James, the president of the West Virginia State Fire Chiefs Association, relates the dire funding woes of volunteer fire departments (VFDs) to mental health. James said new legislation gives VFDs the option to purchase a separate insurance policy to cover mental health issues for their members, but he added that it’s not working since it’s not affordable.

“As far as I know, I have not heard of a single fire department purchasing the extra insurance to cover PTSD for its members, they can’t afford it,” James said.

Joint committee members began the meeting by working to revitalize failed House Bill 3153, which would have markedly increased funding for volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services providers.

James told lawmakers if an EMS squad runs short of funds, they shut down. He said in 2022, 15 squads closed their doors. However, he said when VFDs lack funds, they lose volunteers.

“The departments will just keep doing what they do,” James said. “They cut back on services, maybe they don’t purchase as much equipment or they buy used equipment or even cut back on training. But one major thing that happens to a volunteer fire department when you don’t have adequate funding, is they lose members.”

James said it is aggravating to come away from legislative sessions with basically no increase in funding since 2005 while hearing the news about surplus funds and record tax collections. He asked the committee what else first responders can do to turn around 1,900 EMS vacancies with a workforce short by nearly a third.

Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, echoed his fellow member’s sentiments when he said “don’t give up.”

“We know all the departments across the state are frustrated,” Statler said. “We hear when we’re back home, we hear from our local volunteer fire companies and EMS services. We are continuing to work on this problem that we have before us.”

Committee members said they would continue to make the failed funding bill better suited to passage. They plan to draft a letter to Gov. Jim Justice that the bill be included in any upcoming special session.

Fire and EMS Committee Chair Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, ended the interim meeting with a promise.

“As you can tell, everyone on this committee really is involved and engaged on all these issues,” Deeds said. “I give you my word, we’ll do everything we possibly can to get it right.”

Small Town Firehouse Crumbling From The ‘Ground Up’

The Mullens Fire Department building is at risk of washing away, according to Fire Chief Justin England. He said the building itself is solid but the foundation is eroding from underneath. The building is located along the Guyandotte River in Wyoming County.

England said firefighters noticed a crack in the bay floor that lead them outside to see the damage. He said it’s an urgent matter because the right situation and the building could crumble to the ground.

Rebuilding or repairing at the current location isn’t an option since the river will continue to pose the same hazard.

The Mullens Fire Department is working with Region One Planning and Development Council to search for funding. The Council is one of 11 in the state that utilizes federal, state, and local funding to assist with projects concerning infrastructure development, and other facilities.

The department hopes to find funding to construct a new building in town just a few blocks over.

Without a solution, England worries about the community.

The building is used to house and protect equipment. England says the town’s fire house is often called a “light of the community” hosting hotdog dinners, toy drives and more.