Welcome to West Roane County Volunteer Fire Department!

Also:

1. HIGH FIRE DANGER ALERT: Burning Permits Required October 15 through May 15.

• New Dedicated Fax Line

  Reaching WRCVFD should be easier now that a new dedicated fax line has been added: (865) 245-8219. An answering machine has been added to the (865) 354-8201 voice line.

• Volunteer Recognition Dinner

  WRCVFD's annual volunteer recognition dinner was held Tuesday, December 6th, at 7:00 pm in Station No. 1 on Pumphouse Road. John McNeely was named Firefighter of the Year for 2011, and all volunteers were honored.

• Call 9-1-1 If You Smell or See Smoke

  On August 30, a 40-acre wildfire in Midway raged near two schools. This and other recent wildfires should remind us to always call 9-1-1 when smoke is present. Yes, the smoke may be from a controlled burn. However, here is a fact: controlled burns are the leading cause of wildfire.

  When you call 9-1-1 to report smoke, insist the dispatcher notify the fire department. It is not up to the dispatcher to make tactical decisions; leave the decision about whether the smoke is from just a controlled burn to the fire chief.

  Also, please consider not burning. Roane County is officially at an abnormally dry drought level. Our woods are full of excess fuel. It is best not to burn at all.

  In the meantime, please call 9-1-1 if you smell smoke.

• Thanks to Supporters Who Helped Build Station #3

  WRCVFD wishes to thank the many folks whose support made Station #3 a reality. Cash donations came from individuals in the community, and many local businesses donated land, materials, and labor. See the new Station #3 business donors page for a list of business supporters. Many thanks again to all who helped.

  An album of Station #3 photos is now available. See: PHOTOS - June 14, 2010: Hanging the Sign at the New Station #3.

Click for more (132kb).

• Free Smoke Alarms for West Roane Low-Income Rural Residents

  Updated 9/8/2010: West Roane County Volunteer Fire Department will be handing out free 10-year smoke alarms at Station #1 at 1303 Pumphouse Road, Rockwood, Tennessee, from 9 AM to 1 PM on Saturdays starting September 4 while supplies last.

  A grant from FEMA is providing 538 smoke detectors. Volunteers from West Roane VFD wrote the grant application that enabled this giveaway.

  Households in the West Roane service area--outside Rockwood city limits--are eligible. On this map, look inside the dashed red lines but outside the golden area of Rockwood proper.

  Residents will be given detectors on a first-come, first served basis. Preference will be given to low-income households. Up to two detectors per household are allowed.

  Correct placement of smoke detectors is very important. Residents who want help with installation of the detectors can schedule an appointment for West Roane VFD volunteers to properly install the devices.

  This giveaway will be repeated every Saturday until the detectors are all given out. For more information, call 865-354-8201.

• Smoke Alarms Save Lives

  Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people die in home fires. Most of these deaths occurred in homes that didn’t have a working smoke alarm.

  The United States Fire Administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is aimed at encouraging Americans to practice fire safety by 1) installing and maintaining smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, which can help save the lives of residents and fire fighters, 2) practicing fire escape plans, and 3) performing a home safety walk-through to remove fire hazards from the home. Install. Inspect. Protect. also recognizes firefighters and stresses the fact that the children of firefighters want their fathers and mothers to come home safely.

  When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent, when compared to a residence without either. According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2003-2006 almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

  The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:

  • Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
  • Get smoke alarms that can sound fast. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every home and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
  • Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
  • If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
  • Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.