New equipment is coming to the South Charleston Fire Department

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – Equipment upgrades are on their way to the South Charleston Fire Department with funding through grants from CSX Transportation and the Kanawha County Commission.

South Charleston Fire Chief Virgil White said, “We will use that money for various types of fire equipment for our fire apparatus, as well as for our specialized rescues such as dive rescue and rapid water rescue.”

CSX is providing the South Charleston Fire Department with a $5,000 Pride in Service grant for hazardous materials detection equipment.

The Kanawha County Commission has given the department more than $30,000 to spend on protective equipment, emergency response equipment and diving equipment.

Chief White said these grants are making a difference.

“We are very grateful that they are doing that because it allows us to get equipment much faster,” he said.

Receiving these grants and being able to purchase new equipment will allow the South Charleston Fire Department to continue to serve the community as safely as possible.

“By having this new equipment, we are modernizing some of our old, outdated equipment, making it a lot safer. So when the guys respond to a call, they know they are wearing safe PPE,” White said.