LOW Dedicates new fire station

 

By Dan McFarland

Laker Staff Writer

 

 

 

“This is an announcement.  An announcement only.  This is the Orange County Emergency Communications Center, officially dedicating Fire Station 29, at 10:25 a.m.  May it serve the community well.  End of announcement.”

  With that broadcast, the new Lake of the Woods fire station officially went into service Saturday, following years of planning and construction.  A sizable crowd of residents, friends, and visitors were on hand to witness the ceremonial ribbon cutting, performed by Lake of the Woods Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company president Charlie Bocook, and Fire Chief Bruce Willetts.

  Virginia 17th District Senator Edd Houck commended the Lake of the Woods community for bringing the new station on line.

  “For all of your dedication, and hard work,” he said, “your willingness not only to volunteer and make the work happen here, but also to put up the money to make things really happen, let me say thank you.”

  Houck reminded the audience of the significant extent of fire related injury and death in the commonwealth, and the nation.  “Did you know that fire kills more Americans than all other natural disasters combined?” he asked.  “In Virginia, in 2005, the rate of fire deaths per million was 15.8.”

  “Until you experience it yourself, first hand,” he cautioned, “you really have no idea how devastating, how life changing, a fire can be.”

  Houck related his own experience, 20years earlier, of returning home with his daughter, to find his home on fire.  A storm, which had finished their kite flying for the morning, had also blown a tree into a high tension line, bringing the line down onto his roof, which caught fire.

  “There have been very few events in my life,” he recalled, “that have had such a devastating effect as that moment had.  In the shock, and grief, and pure sorrow – as well as the happiness at seeing my wife and son, knowing they were safe – the memory that is so vivid to me is of watching the flames shoot out of the top of my house.”

  Houck remembered the volunteer firemen he found on the scene. 

  “Many of them were young, high school age.  Many went to Courtland High School, where I was working at the time.  They came over to me, patted me on the back, and said, ‘Mr. Houck, we’re going to take care of this.  We’re going to fight this thing.  We’re going to save your home.’”

  “The fact of a volunteer fire department, of people willing to make that kind of commitment,” Houck concluded, “is something that we should never take for granted.”

  District 5 Supervisor Rich Wallace noted, “As a 30 year resident of Lake of the Woods, I have seen the dedication of our volunteers who have given unselfishly over the years, not only serving as fire and rescue members, but also the support groups.  Because of all your efforts, today we have this new facility to serve our community.”

  “Lake of the Woods Fire and Rescue is a professional, dedicated organization,” he added.  There have been many times that you provided fire and rescue service to other parts of the county where service was not available.  You still serve our surrounding counties when there are needs.  As your county supervisor, I would like to thank you for the service you have provided for our community and Orange County.”

  Following the formal ceremonies, visitors young and older had the chance to inspect the new fire house facilities, equipment and apparatus, with LOW Fire and rescue volunteers on hand to explain and answer questions.

  Within four hours, however, the station was back on the job, launching two trucks to respond to a structure fire in the south end of the county.   

 

 

  Boy Scouts raise flag at LOW Fire House for first time.
 

Bocook (board president) and Willets (fire chief) do ribbon cutting.

 

    

 Rich Wallace, State Senator Houck, Bruce Willets, Tom Schafer

and Charlie Bocook.

 

Fire trucks on display.

New Fire House

Belt doing show and tell.