CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Acting state Fire Marshal Tony Carrico is finalizing a consent order that spells out what a Harrison County volunteer fire department must do in order to regain its certification.
The state Fire Commission voted last Friday to issue a cease-and-desist order for Summit Park VFD following an investigation by Carrico. A complaint had been filed.
Carrico told MetroNews there are at least a dozen issues that need resolved at the department including better training of firefighters.
“There were circumstances that some had not taken the class or the course yet but were enrolled. You had a change in the fire chief up there in this interim,” Carrico said.
The acting fire marshal would not expand on the department’s other problems.
Those with the department have indicated they want to make the necessary corrections and some day in the future regain the department’s certification and resume answering emergency calls.
Summit Park’s new fire chief Greg Cutwright issued a statement Friday.
“After meeting with the West Virginia Fire Commission … the Summit Park Fire Department has entered into a voluntary decertification until all deficiencies are addressed and corrected by reorganization or restructuring.” Cutwright said.
Carrico said the state Fire Commission left open an opportunity for that to happen.
“There were 12 items that the fire commission listed that they must be in compliance with prior to them even considering granting that certification back,” Carrico said.
Other Harrison County fire departments will cover the territory that Summit Park has covered. Carrico doesn’t believe it will be a problem.
“There are departments within very close proximity that have in the past during other shutdown periods for this particular department provided that service to those people. We do not see a loss in fire protection,” Carrico said.