Tag Archive for: #hendersonfiredepartment

Henderson Fire Department; New Engine 1

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The Henderson Fire Department’s most recent purchase was officially recognized Friday afternoon during a “push-in” ceremony at Fire Station 1 on Dabney Drive. The shiny new Fire Engine 1 was ceremoniously backed into its bay, ready to go out on its first call.

During remarks at the 1 p.m. gathering, Fire Chief Tim Twisdale pointed out that there’s a memorial on the back door of the truck to remind firefighters and anyone else who sees it about the former fire chief, the late Steve Cordell.

The purchase was initiated by Cordell in September 2022. “We remember him as we put it officially in service,” Twisdale said.

It takes that long to get a truck like this one built, Twisdale said. “It’s a pretty big deal when we get to make a purchase like that. It should last for 20 years or more and the chief predicted that it would respond to 2,000 calls a year.

Audio of Chief Twisdale. Click Play!

The price tag? A staggering $763,000. But if he were to order the same thing today, that number would be somewhere around the $1 million mark.

“It’s a custom truck,” he said. “It’s built piece by piece from the frame rails to the lights and the final touches and polished pieces.”

Battalion Chiefs Lee Edmonds, Kyle Holtzman and Engineer Chase Carter put in a lot of hours researching the various components to make sure this truck would be equipped with the very best tools to make it the most efficient it can be.

“This one is built from the ground up,” Twisdale said. One component is the pump, which can handle 2,000 gallons, a capacity that helps the fire department keep its ISO rating of 2 – it all has to do with bringing people and water to a fire emergency within a certain amount of time.

This truck’s primary job “will be to respond to fires and emergency medical calls in the center of the city,” he said.

Twisdale said having this new truck added to the fleet will enable the city to be ready to house fire engines in a new station, if and when construction begins.

“We strive to stretch the dollars that we do receive as far as we can,” Twisdale said.

The Local Skinny! Boot Drive Aug. 29 To Support Steve Falkner Family

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The Henderson Fire Department is having a special boot drive Friday, Aug. 29 to show support for a longtime member of the city’s firefighter family.

Steve Falkner has been with the department for more than 40 years, and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said this boot drive was organized to help Falkner’s infant grandson, who has spent most of his short life at Duke University Hospital with complications from congenital heart defects.

“We’re going to collect funds to show them some love and support,” Twisdale said on Thursday’s TownTalk. The boot drive will take place in front of Station 1 on Dabney Drive from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to Twisdale, the little fellow has been hospitalized “pretty much every day since he’s been born.”

His parents are both schoolteachers and live in Lake Waccamaw, in Columbus County.

“They’re public servants, just like Steve,” Twisdale said, and he said the boot drive is one way to show their support as the family goes through this tough time.

“That’s what we’re here for – to try to help everyone in the community…we try to be available for everyone,” Twisdale said.

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The Local Skinny! Trent Ayscue Retires From Henderson Fire Department

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The Henderson Fire Department was the place to be Friday as colleagues, family and friends paid tribute to Trent Ayscue, who retired after more than three decades of service.

Ayscue, who retired as a battalion chief, said he’d entertain the idea of coming back to work part-time after the required month of separation after retirement, and if he does, he was clear as to what he’d like to do:

“If I come back to work, it’s going to be as a firefighter,” Ayscue said, “to give back where I started. One hundred percent suppressing fire,” he said.

Former Fire Chief Danny Wilkerson called Ayscue a firefighter from the “old school,” and Ayscue agreed. He said that he and the late Steve Cordell started as volunteers at the Watkins Fire Department when they were 15 years old.

Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said he learned a lot from Ayscue, who already was in a leadership role when Twisdale joined the ranks in 2000.

In remarks to those gathered for a retirement celebration, Twisdale said Ayscue had “consistently and solidly put in service for the citizens of Henderson.” He also thanked Ayscue’s family for sharing him with the fire department.

“Thank you for your time, your love and your commitment to make us a better place,” Twisdale said. “We truly appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.”

Being a firefighter requires passion, Ayscue said. “It’s a calling. You’re not going to get rich doing it. You have to have dedication…you have to be on your ‘A’ game every day.”

Twisdale said he and Ayscue have had the opportunity to team up as instructors at Vance-Granville Community College and to participate in live burn exercises, allowing them to take off the administrative hat for a bit.

“He and I still love to put that gear on and fight the fire ourselves, too,” Twisdale said.

He said Ayscue has been a good motivator for young firefighters, encouraging them to grow, learn and pick up on skills.

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TownTalk: Man Dies In Weekend House Fire On Reservoir Street

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A local man died in a house fire on Reservoir Street Sunday afternoon.

Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale said firefighters were dispatched to 1418 Reservoir St. at 4:37 p.m. When they arrived, Twisdale said the whole left side of the house was engulfed in flames, and the remainder of the structure was filled with smoke.

Twisdale identified the victim as Robert J. Faucette, Jr., 63. County tax records list Faucette as the homeowner.

“We don’t know exactly how long it was burning prior to our arrival,” Twisdale told WIZS News Tuesday, “but it had gotten a good head of steam” by the time trucks arrived on the scene.

In fact, Twisdale said, firefighters reported seeing “a heavy column of smoke visible from a good distance away” as they made their way to the fire call.

One firefighter suffered burns to his ears, Twisdale said.

Officials have been in contact with the man’s sister, who is next-of-kin, and the medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Twisdale said the home did not appear to have a working smoke alarm.

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Henderson Fire Dept

Henderson Fire Dept. Honors Mills, Clark At Annual Banquet

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The Henderson Fire Department took time to honor individuals for outstanding service during its annual Fireman of the Year holiday banquet, held recently at Station 1.

Master Firefighter Charlie Mills was named the  2024 Fireman of the Year Award. Mills has been with Henderson Fire since 2020. He always goes above and beyond to help out a fellow co-worker and his positivity never wavers.

Engineer Trenton Clark received the Chief’s Award for dedication to his career. His passion for succeeding does not go unnoticed, reads the post on social media.

Warrenton Mayor Gardner Jr. was a guest speaker for the event. Gardner, owner of Warrenton Insurance Agency, also serves as Battalion Chief for Warrenton Rural Volunteer Fire Department.

Among the guests for the banquet were Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon and Council members Garry Daeke, Sam Seifert, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Michael Venable.

 

TownTalk: MPH Cancer Center’s Angel Fund Gets $19K Infusion From Fire Dept.

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City of Henderson firefighters know that the next call they get could involve saving someone’s life. It’s what they train for.

For the past seven or eight years, however, the firefighters at Central Station One on Dabney Drive have taken to the street – literally – to help fight a different battle, one that can be just as deadly as a house fire or car crash.

Firefighters take to the busy street in front of the station to conduct their “fill the boot” campaign and donated all the proceeds to the Angel Fund at Maria Parham Health’s Cancer Center. This year’s three-day effort netted a whopping $19,611, which Chief Tim Twisdale presented to cancer center staff on Monday afternoon. In remarks to the group following the check presentation, Cancer Center Director Kimberly Smith remembered former Chief Steve Cordell, who lost his battle with cancer in January 2023. “This was always something special to him,” Smith said of the Angel Fund project. “So we decided we were going to name it the Steve Cordell Angel Fund moving forward.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said this is the second year that Cordell has not been a part of the check presentation. “He was a big, strong proponent of this effort,” Blackmon said.

Chief Twisdale presented the check to hospital staff, and said he hopes the tradition will continue. “It warms our hearts to be able to do this every year,” Twisdale said. “We count you guys as a big part of that blessing…taking care of us and the community.”

Thanks also go to all those who donated over the course of the three days of the campaign, Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds said later. None of it would be possible without community support, he said.

Those tall boots got filled while firefighters held up traffic with their singing, dancing, just having a good time to support a good cause, Twisdale said.

The coins and bills that added up to the more than $19,000 donation helps cancer patients with transportation, medicine, food and more, said MPH Social Worker Hope Breedlove.

“Transportation is a huge barrier to care,” Breedlove said, adding that the Angel Fund has provided 1,072 rides since mid-January 2024. That averages out to about 5 rides per treatment day.

One gentleman had to come to the clinic twice a week for treatment, and it wasn’t that he didn’t have a car – he simply was too sick to drive himself.

“A lot of good people come into the clinic – this is great to help them bridge the gap,” she said.

Heather Endecott is an RN who works in the clinic side of the cancer center. She said the Angel Fund, in addition to the transportation support, has helped provide oral chemotherapy to some patients for years, indicating that the much-needed medications are helping people get effective treatment and live longer lives.

The Angel Fund has helped 78 families with gas, 66 families with food and countless others get medicine.

“Medication is a big area that we spend a lot of time helping (with), life sustaining medicines, medicines to control their symptoms, medicines to keep them out of the hospital, medicines to keep them from having to call 911 in the middle of the night,” Smith said.

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TownTalk: Lee Edmonds – Fire Prevention Open House

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There’s just something about a fire truck that brings out the little kid in adults, and kids of all ages are invited to come to an Open House at Station #1 on Dabney Drive to see those shiny red marvels up close and personal.

Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds, who has been with Henderson Fire Department for about 10 years, said the fire trucks and free food are all part of a plan to encourage the community to come to the fire station to learn about more about fire safety and the importance of having smoke alarms – working smoke alarms – in their homes.

The Open House will take place on Oct. 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the station, located at 211 Dabney Drive.

The Open House is being held during Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12). This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You.”

It’s a good idea to have smoke alarms inside every bedroom, Edmonds said, but also outside each bedroom as well.

“A lot of times, it’s not the fire, it’s the smoke that gets them first,” Edmonds said. Working smoke alarms give people time to get out safely if a fire breaks out; they don’t do much good at all if the battery is removed or if the device is removed altogether.

Edmonds reminds city residents that they can all the fire department at 252.430.1877 to request that fire offiicials come out and check their smoke alarms. “We offer that free service,” Edmonds said. “If it does not work, we will replace it, or replace the battery.”

If you live outside the city limits, Edmonds said he can connect you with a representative of county fire department or volunteer fire department to conduct a similar service.

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The Local Skinny! Steve Falkner’s 40th Year at Henderson Fire Dept.

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When a fire call comes in, time is of the essence. And if Steve Falkner is around, you can bet that he knows the quickest route to get from the firehouse to the scene.

Falkner began his 40th year with the Henderson Fire Department last week, and his colleagues celebrated the milestone with the person they affectionately know as “Chicken.”

A social media post shows Falkner sitting behind a big cake and fellow firefighters surrounding him, along with text which reads, in part, “…we all know him as someone who is full of great experience and knowledge…”

In a phone conversation with WIZS News Monday, Falkner said he wasn’t really sure of the origin of his nickname, but it may have come from the mid-to late 1980’s when he was a fire dispatcher – before the days of the 911 call center.

He may or may not have been known to run around the fire department like a chicken with its head cut off, he said.

The first to add his comments to the post was Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, who said Falkner was the source of advice, humor and help to all. “He is like a walking encyclopedia of history and knowledge of our area,” Twisdale continued. “He definitely keeps things going at the fire station.”

For his part, Falkner said the celebration was “a very, very nice thing they did for me.” He’s worked with some good leaders in the fire department since he first came on the scene in 1984.

By 10 a.m. Monday, the post had 76 comments, and by 3 p.m. Monday, the number of reactions to the post had swelled to 353.

In the words of Chief Twisdale, Falkner is “a joy to have around. Here’s to 40 and many more!”

Congratulations to Steve Falkner for his four decades of service to the community.

The Local Skinny! Airs on WIZS Mon-Thurs at 11:40 a.m.

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TownTalk: Fire Department Awards And Dinner

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The City of Henderson’s fire department took some time recently to gather for dinner and fellowship as they reflected on events of the past year, honored current firefighters and remembered the late fire chief Steve Cordell.

Chief Tim Twisdale, a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, said the Feb. 22 event was special in many ways, not the least of which was beginning the evening with a moment of silence to remember Cordell, who died in January 2023.

Oftentimes, the public sees firefighters in bulky turnout gear in the line of duty or in more casual clothing around the fire house making sure all the vehicles are in tip-top shape. But Twisdale said this occasion was reason to pull out the Class A uniforms and really show off – on this evening, firefighters learned who was named 2023 Firefighter of the Year and who would be the recipient of the Chief’s Award.

“This is the 47th year that our department has been having a gathering to honor our members and the accomplishments they’ve had throughout the year,” Twisdale noted.

Jeffrey Payne Watson was named Firefighter of the Year and Devin Hall received the Chief’s Award. Twisdale said both men are real assets to the department.

Watson came on board in 2021 – in fact, Twisdale was on the interview board when he was hired and then worked with him on the same shift. He saw Watson every day there in the beginning, and Twisdale said he quickly saw Watson as a natural leader. “He’s one of those go-to persons,” Twisdale said, someone who makes sure that everyone comes out of a situation with a better grasp and understanding than they’d had before.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Tony Bailey was the guest speaker for the event, and Twisdale said he appreciated Bailey’s continuing support  over the years as the fire department has been able to attain – and maintain – a coveted ISO rating of 2.

Chief’s Award recipient Hall commutes three days a week to his job at the Henderson Fire Department from his home in South Hill, VA.

When considering nominees for the Chief’s Award, Twisdale said he’s looking “for someone who really comes into the doors every day as a positive example” for others, making contributions not only to the community but to the brotherhood of firefighters.

“He is a constant source of information,” Twisdale said of Hall. “He shares his knowledge an skills.”

Twisdale noted several recent promotions within the department, including Capt. Capt. Justin Crowder and Capt. Justin Simmons, who is in charge of Engine 1. Simmons’s primary duties are looking after a three-member crew of that truck, the chief said.

As new battalion chiefs, Rick Puryear and Kyle Holtzman supervise the shifts of firefighters who protect the city 24 hours a day.

Hall and fellow firefighter Chase Carter have risen to the rank of engineer. Both men are a big part of the department’s ladder company, Twisdale said. The fire department is looking at ways to replace the aging truck, which came into service in 2005. Back then, it cost $800,000.

Like everything else, he said, inflation has driven up prices on fire trucks, too.

“If we sign a contract today, it’d be $2.1 million,” he said.

Check out the year-in-review video that Engineer Carter created for the awards banquet. You can find it on the fire department’s Facebook page. Chief Cordell figures prominently in the video, and his memory will live on, Twisdale said.

“We try to honor his memory by trying to move forward each day,” he said.

 

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TownTalk: Fire Safety Tips For Your Home

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Batalion Chief Lee Edmonds with the Henderson Fire Department reminds residents of several safety measures to preserve property and protect lives as December ushers in colder weather.

Anyone who uses a portable space heater as a supplemental heat source should make sure that it is positioned at least 3 feet from things like furniture and curtains – anything that could catch fire, Edmonds said on Monday’s TownTalk.

And, he said, any electric heater should be plugged directly into a wall outlet – please don’t use a drop cord.

“Power strips are a whole lot better to use – if you have to,” Edmonds said, adding that drop cords are for temporary use and not for a permanent use for any appliance, lamp, television or other items in the home.

If your home has a working fireplace, it’s a good idea to clean the chimney a couple of times a year and inspect it to make sure it’s structurally sound.

Place a fire screen in front of the fireplace to reduce the likelihood that ashes will pop. Even if you’re using decorative or gas logs, it’s a good idea to place a screen in front to protect children and pets from getting too close to the heat source.

The fire department is just a phone call away if you need to have your smoke detector or carbon monoxide monitor checked. Edmonds said the department is installing smoke detectors that have a 10-year life span. There are no batteries to replace – when it chirps, simply dispose of it and replace the whole unit, he said.

Contact the fire department to make an appointment at 252.430.1877 and leave a voicemail if necessary.

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