News

August 28, 2010

VIENNA - Community service and leadership run in the Goodwin family.

Larry and his nephew Lee Goodwin, both firefighters with the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, have been re-elected this year to serve as officers in the West Virginia Firemen's Association.

Larry Goodwin, a 39-year veteran of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, was elected sergeant-at-arms for the 15th year in a row. He served as president of the association from 1983 to 1984 and serves on the state fire commission.

His nephew Lee Goodwin, who served as third vice president last year, was elected to second vice president this year. A 20-year veteran of the fire department, he strives to become president one day.

The Goodwins are not strangers to fire service. Vienna Fire Chief Danny Goodwin, the brother of Larry Goodwin and father of Lee Goodwin, served as president of the West Virginia Firemen's Association in 2000. All three of his sons completed the junior firefighters training program in Vienna.

"I think it runs in the family," said Larry Goodwin. "But it's not just our family who has been involved with the firemen's association over the years, but the entire Vienna fire department."

Fire departments around the state are tackling issues that were discussed at the 82nd annual West Virginia Firemen's Association Convention at Oglebay Park in Wheeling this month.

As elected officers, Lee and Larry Goodwin act as representatives who speak for all West Virginia fire departments, which are struggling with the recruitment and retention of new firefighters and the threat of losing broadform liability insurance.

"Broadform liability is a protection in the event of a major catastrophe. Without it, firefighters could be held personally liable for something that goes wrong at the scene," said Lee Goodwin.

Of the 450 fire departments in the state, around half are insured, including the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. But many face losing liability insurance from BrickStreet Mutual Insurance, after the company announced it may cancel policies for volunteer firefighters.

"We're working to make sure everyone has that coverage," said Larry Goodwin. "We are all in this together."

BrickStreet has agreed to temporarily freeze liability insurance premiums for one year until a more permanent solution can be reached, but the Goodwins said much work needs to be done to find a solution and make sure all fire departments have coverage.

Problems with recruiting and retaining young volunteers have plagued departments throughout the state.

"We used to have a waiting list to be a firefighter here," said Larry Goodwin. "Now everyone is struggling to find new volunteers. We haven't been at full capacity for many years. It's a nationwide problem."

People with families and full-time jobs are finding it difficult to fit in the training hours required to be a volunteer.

"It takes 90 to 120 hours of training just to be allowed to drive a pumper truck to the scene of a fire. A lot of people just don't have the time and energy for it anymore," said Larry Goodwin. "I really don't know what we're going to do. We need some more incentives to bring people in and keep them here."

As officers in the association, the Goodwins will attend several functions throughout the year, such as a legislative meeting in September and Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day in Charleston in October.

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