LAFFERTY – Lafferty Fire Chief Dustin Hudak sees a bright future for firefighters in the community in which he serves and the place he grew up in.

The 33-year-old chief has been a part of the department for 17 years, working his way up to fire chief and EMT. Additionally, he has been a 911 dispatcher for Belmont County for 13 years.

Hudak said he grew up in the area, always planning to remain in the Ohio Valley.

“I like working where I grew up. There is no better feeling than giving back to your community. I’ve always wanted to stay in the Valley to work and raise a family. Small towns, country living, the comfort of knowing most of the people in the town you are raising a child is something you can’t beat,” he said.

Hudak said he believes in treating others the way you wish to be treated, as well as never asking or expecting others to do things you would not be willing to do yourself.

“I live by these mottos because I believe everyone should be treated with respect no matter what the situation is. We were all created to be on this earth and to make a difference in our own way. Everyone should be given that chance regardless of what someone else may think of them.

When I consider asking something to do something I always put myself in the mindset of would I do this and would I feel ok doing it. I have learned that goes a long way because people trust I would not place them in a bad situation,” he added.

A typical day for Hudak starts off with performing equipment checks on the department’s vehicles followed by station duties like sweeping, cleaning vehicles and taking care of anything else that needs done.

“Emergencies happen at a moment’s notice so we always try to make sure all of our equipment is ready,” he said.

As a chief, he said he works on reports, scheduling, billing and staff needs.

He said working hard, always arriving to work early and learning from seasoned workers are a few qualities he recommends.

“Treat everyone with the respect that you want to be treated with. Always stay open minded and know that you are entering a workforce that has never been as advanced as it is today,” he added.

Hudak recalled the moment he decided to become an EMT in hopes of making a difference in the community.

“This moment takes me back several years ago to an early summer morning. My grandma called my house saying my grandpa was ill and she needed us to come and take him to the hospital. As only a firefighter at the time I notified 911 and had them notify our department members. This was years before we had any paid staff and were strictly volunteers. Everyone was working so we had to call in another department to help us. Seeing my grandpa suffer what was later determined as a heart attack and not being able to help taught me how others feel when no one shows up to help their family or it takes a long time. I decided at that very moment I would do anything in my power to become an EMT and make sure I was always there to help people in need,” he said.

“I’ve applied that in my career to the best of my ability by giving as much time as I can to helping others with the fire department. Early mornings, late nights, holidays, weekends, family events, no matter the time emergencies happen and I always remember that feeling I had that day when my grandpa was sick waiting for help and that gets me eager to help people all I can.”

Hudak said he envisions a bright future for the fire department in Lafferty.

“We are always trying to grow our membership and employees. Emergencies are happening more and more each day as we set a record number of calls in 2022. I am hoping that in the near future with the help of my staff we can decrease our response times, advance our equipment even more and eventually staff our station longer to better serve our community,” he said.

He said areas around the Ohio Valley are expanding. He said that both the Ohio Valley Mall and the Highlands are growing with new stores popping up.

“One area that sticks out the most to me is around Union Local Schools with the hotels, gas stations, and what appears to be more new businesses on the way. I remember when the schools were breaking ground the area was nothing like it is becoming. Also, GO JETS!,” he said.

Hudak is married to his wife, Katie. The couple has a four-year-old son, Thomas; a dog, Leo; and a cat, Chloe.