The Bunners Ridge Volunteer Fire Department was formed on October 20, 1964, when a group of people realized the need to have fire protection for the citizens of Bunner Ridge and the surrounding area. The five signers of the original charter, filed with the West Virginia Secretary of State were Delbert Rush, Tony Rundell, Camden Bunner, Jess Stewart and Walter Graves. The original station was in an old building on North Bunner Ridge. The two original fire trucks were homemade with tanks and pumps added to two old truck chassis.
Since that time, the department has been able to move into a building which was built in 2000 on property donated by Jack “Hardrock” Bunner. Although it is small, it provides a meeting location for various local groups, including the Girl Scouts, as well as giving local citizens a place to vote.
We have also been able to upgrade our fleet, buying our first new pumper in 2008, as well as a new 3,000 gallon pumper/tanker in 2013. We still operate a small 1982 tanker and a 1994 brush truck.
Our department not only provides response to fires and car accidents, but we also provide First Responder EMS service. We currently have one paramedic and four EMTs on the roster. All of our firefighters are trained in CPR and basic first aid. When 911 is called for a medical emergency, the BRVFD is alerted as well, which allows us to get to the emergency much faster than the ambulance coming from elsewhere in the county. If the emergency is life threatening, the time savings could mean saving a life.
We greatly appreciate the support that we receive from the residents of Bunner Ridge. However, we always need more help in many ways. Finances are always a concern. Rest assured that we have a budget that will ensure that our doors will stay open. But we have a great need to upgrade much of what we have, to include the protective gear that we wear inside of a fire, the Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, which allows firefighters to breath fresh air inside of a fire, as well as our hose and tools. You can visit https://www.bunnersridgevfd.com/product/donate-to-brvfd/ to donate to us online via this website.
We also always need more members. If you are willing and able to help us, we can use you as a firefighter, EMS responder, or even just to help around the station or with special projects. Often we need help with fund raising events, or to work on trucks or help clean or maintain the station. Please consider giving just a little of your time to help in any of these areas. You can visit https://www.bunnersridgevfd.com/volunteer-with-us/ to fill out an application, or https://www.bunnersridgevfd.com/contact-us/ to contact us with questions or to offer help in any way.
Thank you again for your support!