Brian Brake, a DVFD Member and his brother Travers made is safely back to West Virginia on January 25th. We had a little "Welcome Home Party" for Brian at the station. His family, including his brother, was able to attend.

From brian's welcome home party 2010

http://www.coalvalleynews.com/view/full_story/5621729/article-Fire-Departments-stay-active-in-January?instance=home_news_lead

Fire Departments stay active in January
by Joanie Newman

In the last 19 days that have made up the month of January, the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, alone, has been called out to approximately 21 calls.

This wear and tear on the department’s equipment requires the volunteer crews to be vigilant in the upkeep of their equipment.

This past week, several volunteer fire fighters were seen outside scrubbing and rinsing off hoses and trucks, preparing for the next call that would come into their firehouse.

Icy/Snow Driving:

Mostly intended for our fire fighters as they travel on the roads during these conditions, there's a few safety tips to remember:

1) Watch the use of the "jake brake". Using a jake brake and/or misusing a jake can seriously jeopardize the traction on the truck you're operating. Make sure you know what you're doing before engaging the jake.

2) Give yourself at least three times more space to stop. As we all know, it takes forever to slow a big-truck down. That the space you normally use and multiply that times three to safeguard yourselves and those around you.

3) Also, as we always try to do, put your truck between you and the most dangerous of on-coming traffic. If you're on Rt. 119 work in front of the truck with traffic coming behind you. That piece of apparatus can take a lot more a hit than our personnel can!

and check out these other tips:

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/124638/article.html

http://autos.aol.com/article/crash-1959-chevy

"...On September 9, 2009, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety destroyed a perfectly good 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air. This wanton dispatching of a perfectly good 50-year-old Chevy dismayed lovers of vintage cars, but it did add a “Thank God” to the old saying, “They just don’t build them like they used to.”

DVFD Fire Fighter Brian Brake, aka "SSG Brake" is serving his country and making DVFD proud of his service in Iraq. Recently, he and his squad took a little time to take a picture of the DVFD Banner being held in front of his squad. Keep up the good work guys and be careful, we're all thinking of you. Click the picture to get it full size.

The Danville Volunteer Fire Department recently responded with Ladder 199 to the commercial building fire in Bob White, West Virginia. This mutual aid call was to assist Stations 600 & 700 with Ladder Ops. The building contained a retail store and a United States Post Office. The departments were able to contain the blaze and prevent important mail, including Social Security checks, from being destroyed by the fire.

As everyone in the department knows, F.F. Brian Brake is serving his country in Iraq once again. I believe this is the third deployment by SSgt/F.F. Brake. Brian, we're very proud of you. Be safe and get home soon!