New Addition to Firehall Another Step in Martinsburg VFD Growth

The Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company is getting set to show off the new addition to its fire hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 26, at noon.

Construction on the addition, which added three truck bays, a chief's office, and a lounge area, marks the first major upgrade to the building since its dedication nearly 50 years ago.

History of Growth

When the Martinsburg Volunteer Fire Company organized in 1892, as the Martinsburg Hose Brigade, its first home was a blacksmith shop on East Allegheny Street. Throughout the years, as the population of Martinsburg and surrounding townships grew, it was necessary for the fire company to grow, which meant more equipment and the need for a bigger space to house it.

In 1940, the fire company was moved to the then Martinsburg borough building on East Allegheny Street where it remained until its current home on South Market Street was built in 1972.

According to the Oct. 12, 1972, edition of the Morrisons Cove Herald, the new firehall cost around $65,000 to construct. Firefighters skilled in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing did most of the work themselves.

While the building has served the fire company well for five decades, the ever-changing landscape of firefighting meant the company began to outgrow it, prompting fire company officials to start discussing expansion about a decade ago.

"We probably began talking about needing to expand the firehall about 10 years ago," said Randy Acker, Martinsburg's fire chief. "It was getting pretty crowded in the station."

Acker said as the fire company acquired more equipment, space in the firehall became cramped.

"Whenever we had to work on the trucks, we would have to pull one outside to work on the other one and it just got to the point where we said it would be nice if we had another bay," Acker said.

When crews return from a call, the equipment they used has to be cleaned and checked to make sure they are in working order for the next time they are needed. This, according to Acker, needs to be done without fail and with limited space inside the garage, often that work was done in the parking lot or trucks had to be moved outside to give firefighters enough room inside the garage to do their work.

Seconds and Safety

The 50-year-old building on South Market Street became cramped with trucks parked two deep in its three bays, forcing firefighters to dress in a tiny space between the wall and a parked truck, while having to maneuver vehicles during a call to get to the ones needed.

"With the way we had to park the trucks, when we got called out, we would have to pull a truck out so we could get the one behind it if that's the one we needed," said Acker. "Those are valuable seconds being used up before we could get on the road."

Martinsburg Assistant Chief Rich Brantner Jr. said 30 seconds or a minute may not seem like much, but in an emergency, it could be the difference between life and death.

"Those are more seconds someone may be trapped, or more seconds they could be breathing in smoke," Brantner said.

Branter and Acker said as much as five minutes of response time can be lost while firefighters shuffle trucks around to get to what they need.

The three added truck bays eliminate the need to jockey trucks with each now having its own bay, meaning firefighters can jump in and go, getting to the scene quicker.

"I can't overstate how important it is to get out of the station as quickly as possible," Acker said. "With each fire truck now having its own door, it will increase our response times."

Expansion

The opportunity to plan for future expansion became available about three years ago when the fire company was able to purchase the apartment building next door to the firehall. According to Acker, the original plan was to continue renting the apartments for five to 10 years, using the rent money to pay off the mortgage.

"We wanted to get the mortgage paid off, put some money back and then put the addition on the firehall," Acker said.

As it turned out, Martinsburg wouldn't have to wait a decade to start its expansion once the late W. Gene Henry found out about the fire company's needs.

"What changed the plan is when Gene Henry got involved," Acker said.

Henry gave the fire company $500,000 to get started on the expansion.

As the project got underway, Acker said Henry wanted the addition to be brick to match the existing building so he gave the fire company an additional $250,000 to cover the cost, bringing his total contribution to $750,000 on the estimated $950,000 project.

In late summer 2020, the fire company notified the tenants of the apartment building that they wanted to have them vacate by the end of the year because construction was to begin by January 2021.

Acker said to help the tenants with the transition, they didn't collect rent for the months of October, November, and December.

"We wanted to try to help them out by letting them save money to get another place," Acker said. "They were all really understanding about it."

Brantner said they tried to assist the tenants in finding new places to live.

"We wanted to help them as much as we could," Brantner said.

Room to Breathe

Acker said the addition gives the fire company "room to breathe" by allowing them to spread out more.

A new chief's office gives Acker his own space to do paperwork. Previously, the chief shared an office with the fire company's executive board, making for a cramped workspace. A lounge area for firefighters to relax and unwind after calls has a television and several recliners. There is also space for overnight accommodations so firefighters can comfortably man the station when bad weather is expected, and calls are anticipated.

Brantner said the addition increases safety for the firefighters because they no longer have to dress in a small space or squeeze between vehicles to get around the garage.

"The addition is just a tremendous thing and was badly needed," Brantner said.

Acker said he is excited to see it done and is grateful to Henry for helping make it happen much sooner than originally planned.

"We are all excited," Acker said. "This gets us ready for the next 10 to 15 years. Everyone is excited about the new station."