By Stephen Smoot, The Moorefield Examiner
MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — On a sweltering Friday night after two weeks of seeing the region battered by dangerously violent storms, Moorefield Volunteer Fire Department member Eric Crites manned a booth at the Fireman’s Carnival.
Carnivals used to be sure fire winners as fundraisers. On this night however, despite the slate of baseball games running at the same time, the midway held no masses.
“It used to be crowded every night,” remembers Crites, who added “people don’t come out like they used to.” Moorefield Town Park during the carnival featured a variety of rides, freshly made food, and games for prizes.
Volunteer fire departments across West Virginia carry more than the lion’s share of responsibility for protecting lives and property while also containing and eradicating wildfires. The Mountain State, according to the United States Fire Administration, ranks third in the nation with over 90 percent of departments fully staffed by volunteers. About 4.6 percent have mixed units and only 1.4 percent, good for 10th in the nation among the lowest numbers, are fully staffed by career professionals.
