While the wildfires in Los Angeles continue to dominate the headlines, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina in late September, is still on people’s minds locally.
The Halcottsville Fire Department, under the Middletown-Hardenburgh Fire District in Delaware County, donated a fire truck slated for replacement to the Broad River Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Margaretville Fire Chief Nelson Delameter organized the donation. Under the fire department’s 20-year replacement program, it was time for Halcottsville’s 2004 truck to be replaced, Delameter said Friday, Jan. 10.
Halcottsville’s new truck is expected to be delivered within the next week.
The donated fire truck has among its apparatus on board a 1,250 gallon per minute pumper, a 1,000 gallon water tank, ladders and suction hose. Delameter said that the Arkville Fire Department donated its surplus hose.
“That truck is great shape,” Delameter said. “It’s something we’re not donating because it’s a piece of junk. Mechanically it’s sound, they can go right to work.”
Richard J. Arsi Trucking, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, is hauling the truck south. The truck was delivered to the Benjamin Bros. yard in Arkville Friday where it was loaded onto flatbed trailer.
Delameter said that Arsi plans to return to Bergenfield and depart for North Carolina Monday morning.
Halcottsville Fire Chief Jeff Slauson said Friday that his department ordered the new fire truck almost three years ago.
“Since the pandemic, everything seems to take longer,” Slauson said.
Delameter was the main organizer of the donation, which was finalized a few weeks ago, but Slauson’s firefighters helped make it happen.
“He told me when to have it ready,” Slauson said, “and my fire department took over, cleaned it up and got it ready to go. He made my job simple … It’s been a good truck that served us for 20 years. I just think it’s a good thing when you can do something good.”
There are about 16 to 17 active firefighters in Halcottsville, all of them volunteers. Slauson said that the department has responded to seven or eight calls so far this year.
“Even though it’s a small department, we keep busy,” Slauson said. “It’s amazing what volunteer firefighters do, whether it’s New York or any place else.”
The Broad River Volunteer Fire Department is in southern Buncombe County bordering McDowell, Rutherford and Henderson counties, about 10 miles south of town of Black Mountain.
Broad River Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Brent Hayner said Friday that the department covers about 40 square miles and has around 3,000 residents, per the 2020 census, operates out of three stations and is 99% volunteer.
The fire department main station, its equipment and vehicles sustained severe flooding damage.
“The morning Helene hit, we were monitoring the river beside our main station,” Hayner said via email, “but unfortunately what we didn’t know was that it was blocked behind us as well. When it all broke lose, we went from an inch of water entering our bays to over a foot within 30 to 45 minutes.”
During this time, volunteers standing by for calls began moving apparatus up to higher ground, he said.
“Unfortunately, we did not get everything out in time,” Hayner said.
The department lost a 15-foot wet rescue bodied compressed air foam system truck called Squad 22 — the primary response vehicle to almost every call they received — along with a drone response trailer with all equipment inside valued around $190,000.
The station’s bays along with the community center received nearly six feet of water. Using professional rain gauges, the department recorded 18 inches of rain Thursday, Sept. 26, while watching it overflow for an hour. By end of Friday, Sept. 17, it showed a total of 38 inches. An estimated 40 inches of rain fell in all.
“We lost a lot of equipment inside the buildings, but fortunately we did save most trucks,” Hayner said. “As bad as it seemed, what we witnessed over the next few weeks was amazing.”
Fire departments around the country offered to help. Local residents and organizations like Samaritans Purse and Hendrix Motorsports offered aid almost immediately.
“During the event, we responded to (about) 200-250 calls in our small rural area,” he said. “We didn’t have any members injured, most of whom are volunteers.”
Days into the event, Black Mountain learned that a firefighter in the neighboring volunteer fire department in Garren Creek died while rescuing others. There also was a significant loss of life in its community, Craig Town.
“When you see the devastation, but then hear about what they went through, it’s hard,” Hayner said. “Our community will get through this and be stronger for it. We are greatly blessed by so many who helped and extremely grateful for the donated truck.”
The plan is to replace a much older truck.
“In my 30-plus years in the fire service, what I’ve enjoyed the most is even during our worst times, fire, law enforcement, EMS, and even our residents rise to challenges and help one another no matter what’s occurred,” he said. “Let your chief up there and his community know that we greatly appreciate their help and support. Hopefully not needed, but maybe one day we can return the favor, and if not at least pay it forward.”