The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

September 25, 2009

Coal City VFD suspension lifted

By Courtney Clark

The Coal City Volunteer Fire Department resumed operations this morning after a temporary shutdown issued earlier this month was rescinded, State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis said.

Lewis met with Coal City Fire Chief Rodger Bell and the Board of Directors Thursday evening.

“I was pleased to see that they had met all of the stipulations I set forth for them to meet before opening back up the department,” Lewis said this morning. “They did it in a much shorter time frame than I had allotted for them. I gave them 90 days, and they met all of the requirements in less than a month.”

The fire department was given until December to regain its workers’ compensation coverage for the firefighters and work with a lien-holder on its property.

Beaver, Ghent, Rhodell and Sophia Area fire departments had been covering fires for the Coal City department since Sept. 2.

Jack Bowden, director of the Raleigh County Emergency Operations Center, said a letter signed by Lewis authorizing Coal City's reinstatement was delivered to him early this morning by Bell. Bowden the EOC will resume dispatching Coal City firefighters in their designated coverage areas.

For a more detailed story, see Saturday's edition of The Register-Herald.

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