Belmont VFD Celebrates New Headquarters
“Somehow, some way” a dream is now a reality for Chief Bob Mills and the Belmont Volunteer Fire Department.
For the first time in well over a century, Station 17 has a new home. On Friday, the VFD celebrated the completion of the construction of its new headquarters, located at 101 E. North St. just behind the Tri-State Military Veterans Museum and within sight of the building that has housed the organization since the 1880s.
That nearly 150-year-old structure has a ceramic block core that is failing, which prompted efforts to replace it that began in 2019. Department member Ed Tacosik has said that while the VFD has added on to it over the past 40-50 years, there was no more room for expansion at that site. He noted that the building’s structural issues include foundation cracking and sinking, as well as water leaks.
With a declining volunteer base locally and across the country, members are also looking to the future by constructing a building that could house any future fire district that may be formed. The facility features four double bays that can accommodate eight pieces of fire apparatus (the department currently owns six), a drive-through-style entry and exit plan, four bedrooms, showers, a kitchen and a “hot room” for decontamination of people and their gear – everything necessary to provide 24-7 fire and emergency medical coverage for the surrounding community.
“We need to do something for the future and the future of our community,” Mills said as he recalled the mindset he, Tacosik and Capt. Kaye Hall had when they launched the building plan. “So we decided that we were going to build a new firehouse, somehow, some way.”
The building also includes two offices, a community room, public bathrooms, and it can serve as a tornado shelter.
The Belmont VFD was awarded $3.4 million via a Congressionally Directed Spending Grant by working with former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and then-Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio (who is again seeking that office in the Nov. 3 election). The project required more than $1 million in matching funds, secured as part of the Ohio Capital Budget Bill with assistance from state Sen. Brian Chavez, R-Marietta, and then-state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport. Work to secure those funds was spearheaded by Hall and grant writer Donna Riggs of Canton, Ohio.
Village Solicitor T.J. Schultz and Fiscal Officer Ricky Burkhead worked with Woodsfield Savings Bank to obtain a letter of credit for $405,000 to pay for cost overruns and allow the project to move forward.
Belmont County Commissioners J.P. Dutton and Vince Gianangeli were on hand for the ceremony Friday, along with Ty Moore, a Republican who became a state representative when Jones accepted an appointment from President Donald Trump, and Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon.
Many of the furnishings and equipment for the new facility were provided by local businesses and philanthropists, including: Jerry and Lova Ebbert, Chester and Irma Kemp, the EQT Foundation, Classic A Properties, the Kimble Foundation, Pilot Travel Center, the Marathon Community Investment Program and Mark West.
Mills said a couple more inspections must be completed before the department can actually move its operations into the new building. He expects that move to occur before the end of October.
The fate of the original firehouse is unclear. The building belongs to the village, but council has not determined or announced how it will be used in the future.
Mayor Ron Woods, who was not present for the ceremony and open house, expressed gratitude for the assistance the village received with the project.
“We are grateful for all the support from federal and state officials, all those who generously donated time and resources to help see the project through,” he said via text message. “To have this firehouse built is such a testament to the great people who live and love this town and look forward to growing the town for future generations.”
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