WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – This month, the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Throughout the past century, it has seen it all: battling deadly hotel blazes, adapting to ever-changing firefighting technology, and witnessing the evolution of volunteer service.

The Sullivan County Democrat sat down with Assistant Chief and 100th Anniversary Committee Chairman Timothy Fink, former chiefs Wayne Bradley, “Porky” Worden and Carl Lindsley, and longtime member Dennis Day last week to discuss and reflect on the department’s longevity and rich, memory-filled history, from its humble beginnings in 1926 through generations of firefighters serving their community.

1926: A different call to action

Prior to the establishment of the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department in 1926, fire calls in the hamlet were answered by the Liberty Fire Department.

It wasn’t until White Sulphur Springs became a busy resort destination with boarding houses, businesses and hotels that one thing became clear: residents needed a local volunteer company that could respond to emergencies more quickly.

The department’s creation came at a pivotal time, as the area was experiencing its tourism boom, with visitors flocking to White Sulphur Springs for its numerous summer resorts and namesake mineral springs. It began along Route 52 in a one-bay firehouse housing a Sanford pumper. The building, now an apartment house, still bears the original bay door frame on its façade.

The resort boom

Much of the conversation involved the men reminiscing about White Sulphur Springs during the height of the Borscht Belt era.

They recalled a community bustling with large wooden hotels, boarding houses and bungalow colonies welcoming vacationers arriving by rail.

Former Chief Wayne Bradley, who joined the department in 1964, estimated there were once “probably 10 or 12” hotels throughout the hamlet.

“We used to play in them when we were kids,” Bradley reminisced.

While the hotels were grand and luxurious, they also presented some of the department’s biggest challenges. Before modern fire suppression systems, hotel fires were among the most dangerous calls firefighters faced.

One incident that has remained etched in the members’ memories was the 1965 Prospect Hotel fire in Parksville, where four people lost their lives after becoming trapped inside the burning building while 10 others were injured.

Their calls weren’t limited to hotels, either. The members also recalled responding to large brush fires and barn fires throughout the region.

Growing together

As White Sulphur Springs changed through the years, so did its fire department and the equipment it used.

Collectively representing decades of service dating back to 1959, the men discussed the department’s evolution from its early Sanford apparatus to Dodge pumpers in the 1970s, a GMC Brigadier purchased in 1980 and a 2,500-gallon tanker acquired in 1990 for roughly $190,000.

As they noted, replacing that tanker today would cost approximately $1.3 million.

Their responsibilities have also expanded beyond firefighting. The White Sulphur Springs Fire Department became one of the first in Sullivan County to place an automated external defibrillator (AED) on a fire truck after many volunteers became certified EMTs, allowing firefighters to begin lifesaving treatment before an ambulance arrives.

More than firefighting

The current and former members agreed that much of the department’s success over the past century extends beyond emergency response.

They credited the Ladies Auxiliary for preparing meals during major fires, supporting firefighters behind the scenes and organizing fundraisers for generations.

The department has also become known for one of Sullivan County’s longest-running traditions: its annual chicken barbecue. Started in 1956, the fundraiser has been held on the second Sunday in August for nearly 70 years and remains one of the department’s signature community events.

Assistant Chief and 100th Anniversary Committee Chairman Timothy Fink noted that the department continues to evolve. This year, it elected its first female line officer, marking another milestone in its century-long history.

“It wasn’t a hero thing,” Lindsley explained. “It was a serving-your-community thing.”

Looking ahead

While volunteer departments today face challenges ranging from declining membership to rising equipment costs, the men agreed that one thing has remained constant over the past century: the department’s unwavering commitment to serving its community.

Reflecting on the department’s first century, the members agreed that the friendships forged in the firehouse are just as meaningful as the calls they’ve answered.

“That’s what makes a fire department,” Fink began before Bradley completed the thought with a single word. “Camaraderie.”