HURRICANE, W.Va. — Rain poured in torrents as a crowd gathered Friday for the much-anticipated ribbon cutting at the new fire station in Hurricane.
Though the weather was nasty outside, spirits were sunny and bright inside the new 20,000-square-foot facility.
Hurricane Mayor Scott Edwards greeted the large crowd with a brief history of the fire department in Hurricane. He lauded the firefighters’ dedication and self-sacrifice, and praised the Ladies Auxiliary for the care the group takes of the firefighters once they return from a call.
Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia State Sen. Eric Tarr, Greg Martin of Williamson Shriver Architects who designed the building; Tim Hayslett of Hayslett Construction Co., which built the structure; and City Manager Andy Skidmore spoke during the event.
Fire Chief Mike Hoffman also addressed crowd before the ceremonial ribbon cutting and a prayer of dedication was offered by Jerry Losh, a pastor at First Baptist Church of Hurricane.
Everyone was then encouraged to tour the $6 million facility.
“When I am in this building, the one word that comes to mind is the word ‘opportunity,’” Hoffman said. “The future and possibilities with this new station are endless and we are ready, willing and able to accept the challenge. The dedicated members of this fire department will now have a brand-new facility to call home and will carry on the legacy that has been set before us.”
Edwards, himself a member of the fire department, prizes the legacy of the Hurricane fire department as well.
“The Hurricane Fire Department was established in 1908 officially,” he said. “There was an original station near the old town hall on Virginia Avenue, and in 1957 it moved into the old town hall. The current station on Main Street was constructed by volunteers in 1975 and was dedicated in 1976.
“The station on Main Street has served Hurricane well, but with growth, the need quickly became great to expand the footprint and set goals for a new station. This new station is the realization of those goals and should serve Hurricane for the next 100-plus years.”
Mentioned multiple times during Friday’s ceremony was that the new station is considered a 100-year build.
“This is a fire station for the future,” Hoffman said. “It has room for us to grow, state-of-the-art amenities to include a 60-plus seat training center and an area outside for future training props to do live burns in.”
The new station will allow for better training for Hurricane’s firefighters as well as offer county-wide and regional training opportunities, Edwards said.
“This new station gives us not only what we need for now, but it also gives us tremendous room to grow,” he said.
The new facility at 1 Rescue Way took a little over a year to complete and is 15,000 square feet larger than the current Main Street structure, which won’t be around for long.
“The plan as of now is for the old fire station to come down and for the entire area around the Gazebo to be revamped for better use,” Edwards said. “Parking for our Main Street shops and restaurants, for example, so that we all may be able to see even more growth in downtown Hurricane, while also opening up the possibilities for future construction.”
While Edwards turns his focus towards downtown development and other projects like the expansion of Hurricane Bridge Park, Hoffman is looking forward to spending more time in the new fire station.
“We are beyond excited and have been looking forward to move-in day,” he said.
A grand opening celebration for the community will be held from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, April 22.
“We will have inflatables and other activities for the kids and will be giving tours as well,” Hoffman said. “This will be a great opportunity to check everything out, have the kids interacting, and have a good time.”
Hoffman welcomes members of the public to drop by for a visit anytime.
“Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday,” Hoffman said. “Your Hurricane Fire Department is here for you, the citizens of Hurricane and the surrounding areas.”