Hyle Retiring as Williamsburg Fire Chief After 16 Years of Service

For the first time in 16 years, the Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Department will begin the new year with a new chief. Current Chief Ted Hyle has decided to step down, passing the torch to Travis Prough.

"It is time," Hyle said. "It's time to get a younger perspective and new ideas."

The early years

Fueled by a desire to serve his community and at the urging of friends who were already members, Hyle joined the fire department 48 years ago and began a journey that would see changes not only in equipment, but training requirements and higher standards for members.

"We didn't have all the classes and online training we do today," Hyle said. "You learned on the fly."

Hyle said firefighters then had basic fire skills and didn't do much interior firefighting, instead attacking fires solely from the outside.

"I think at the time we only had three or four air masks," he said. "Most of the time we attacked the fires from the outside because that's what we could safely do."

Hyle said when he joined the fire department the only requirement was to pay a membership fee.

"You paid your fee, and you were in," Hyle said. "Now we do background checks on applicants."

Hyle said criminal background checks and child abuse clearances are conducted on all new applicants, a rule put in place to protect the community and the fire department.

"We need to make sure the people we bring into the department are good people who are dedicated to serving the community."

When Hyle first started in the fire service, Williamsburg had two fire engines and one ambulance that were manned by people who had only the basic knowledge of first aid.

"We just picked people up and drove them to the hospital, Hyle said. "We could do basic first aid but primarily we just had to get them to the hospital as quickly as possible."

Growth and Change

The early years of Hyle's fire service career provided him with valuable skills that can only be learned by doing, but as times changed the fire department changed too. According to Hyle, newer members like himself recognized that to protect the community, better equipment and better training were necessary.

"When the younger people took over, we started doing different things," Hyle said. "We bought newer equipment and required better training."

As training and equipment upgrades rose, so did the costs of keeping the fire department running. Hyle said fundraisers, community donations, and grants are vital to its survival.

"We get grants for vehicles and training now and that makes it a lot easier on us," he said. "I remember sitting in meetings in my early days trying to figure out what bills we had to pay now and which ones we could hold off on for a couple of weeks because we didn't have enough money to pay them all."

While there have been significant upgrades to the physical aspect of firefighting, focus on the mental health of firefighters has become a more important part of the service than ever before.

Martinsburg Mayor Rich Brantner said of his 33-year career in law enforcement, "My eyes have seen things my mind can't forget." Hyle agrees, saying he has witnessed things that "stay with me."

In his early days of firefighting, firefighters didn't talk about it. If someone was struggling with something they saw, they kept it to themselves because there was no outlet to share. Hyle said they began to recognize that taking care of their mental health was as equally important to the firefighters as the training and equipment.

"Back then nobody would share their feelings," Hyle said. "If something was bothering you, you just took it home with you, and that wasn't a good thing."

Hyle said after every call he gathers his crew and asks if anyone wants to talk about what they saw.

"We critique everything after a fire," he said. "We sit down and talk about everything that happened. I ask if there are any issues or if anyone is having problems with what they saw. If there are issues, we can get them help."

Hyle said it is important that his crew knows there is no shame in needing help and that the days of "men don't share what they are feeling" are over.

"I want everyone to know that if they need help coping with something, we are here to help them," Hyle said. "Society now recognizes how important it is to take care of your mental health and we want everyone to be comfortable sharing their concerns."

Hyle said he is proud of the growth the fire department has had in the past 50 years.

"I am proud to say we are better off today than when I first started," Hyle said. "We have better training, we have had several guys move on to careers as paid firefighters, and we have the best equipment available to protect this community with."

A Team Effort

While Hyle is proud of what he accomplished in his 16 years as chief, he said none of it would be possible without the people who served with him.

"I have had the pleasure of working with a great group," he said. "These guys dedicate themselves to many hours of training and don't hesitate to jump out of bed in the middle of the night to answer the whistle."

Hyle said the community has also been a big factor in the success of the fire department.

"I can't say enough about the way this community supports us," Hyle said. "From individual and business donations to employers allowing people to leave work to respond to a call, keeping this fire company going is a solid community effort."

Hyle said he also gives credit to his wife Carol and the families of his firefighters for supporting them.

"We couldn't do this every day without the support of our families," Hyle said. "When we have to leave the dinner table, or skip out on a holiday gathering, they understand and give us the support we need."

As chief, Hyle was the face of the department, the one who made the final decisions. He said even though he was the one in charge, it was never about him.

"I want to emphasize the fact that it's not only me, but also we," he said. "It's me and everybody else that contributes to trying to make our department better."

Hyle said that while having people who are committed to the fire department is essential for its survival, he stresses to his crew that he has an order of importance when it comes to its place in their lives.

"Family is first, your job second, and the fire department is third," he said. "When you can come and help, come and help. But the first two can't suffer because of it."

Not going anywhere

Hyle said he will still be an active member of the fire department, but it was time to get a new perspective under the chief's helmet. Hyle said he will be available to new chief Travis Prough if he needs him, but otherwise will stay out of his way.

"I have a lot of confidence in Travis, and he will be great for the department," Hyle said. "I already talked to him and told him I will be available if he has any questions, but unless he asks, I'm not going to get in his way."

Hyle said his retirement as fire chief is not the end of his service to the borough. He said he will continue to serve as Mayor and continue to work for the betterment of the community.

"I joined the fire department because I wanted to help the people of my community," he said. "It really has been an honor to serve as their fire chief for the past 16 years and although it is time to pass that title on, I will still be here as Mayor working every day for the borough of Williamsburg."