Group Wants Paid Fire Crew at The Highlands
By SHELLEY HANSONArticle Photos
VALLEY GROVE - Valley Grove volunteer firefighters call themselves the ''Guardians of The Highlands'' - a title they hope to continue to live up to with a station containing paid workers at the site.
John Harto Jr., chief of the Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, said Monday his department is the lead agency for fire and emergency medical calls at the development site, located about 5 miles east of Wheeling and home to Cabela's.
''It was already in our coverage area before it was developed,'' Harto said of The Highlands. ''It's actually increased our calls, but not by a high percent - 5 percent, our calls have increased.''
He noted the department aims to seek a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant to assist with paying firefighters stationed only at The Highlands, which is owned by the Ohio County Development Authority. Firefighters would man the station during a daytime shift only, he noted.
The county plans to construct a public safety building there that will contain firefighters, emergency medical personnel and Ohio County Sheriff's Department deputies, Harto said.
''We're going to put an engine there ... and we hope to house four firefighter-EMTs,'' he added.
He noted he did not know how much it would cost to maintain four paid firefighters for The Highlands station. For now, when it is built, volunteers will take turns manning it.
Ohio County Commissioner Randy Wharton said Monday the building also will contain a visitors information center. He did not know offhand its estimated cost, but he said construction could begin as soon as this fall.
''We're not sure of the funding for that building. Right now we're working on producing jobs,'' Wharton said.
Harto noted a sign dubbing the Valley Grove VFD as ''Guardians of The Highlands'' that had been placed at the site by the department may have been torn down by someone. He said he noticed it was missing last week. It was reported to law enforcement. He expects a new sign will be erected in the future.
