Fired up: Parkersburg chief announces improved fire safety rating | News, Sports, Jobs

Parkersburg Fire Chief Jason Matthews discusses the city's enhanced fire safety rating during a Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday at City Hall. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG – Fire Chief Jason Matthews announced during the Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday that Parkersburg’s fire safety rating has improved.

Insurance Services Office Inc. assigned the city a Public Protection Class 2 rating effective September 1. The city had been classified in Class 3 since 2017, having previously upgraded from Class 4.

“It is a great achievement for us to be able to say that we are among the top 5% in the country,” said Matthews.

ISO is studying more than 39,000 fire protection areas in the United States, including about 500 in West Virginia, the city said in a news release. Only 3% of areas in the Mountain State are classified as Class 2 fire protection.

The assessment takes into account emergency communications, water supply and fire services.

Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce (left) speaks about the city's improved fire safety rating during a Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday at City Hall. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Matthews pointed to improvements in water supply, including the installation of several fire hydrants at various locations around the city and a new water tank on the south side that provides firefighting water to areas that previously only had enough to serve residential areas. The department had already enacted policies prior to the installation to provide adequate water for firefighting in those areas, Matthews said.

Improvements at the fire department included moving an aerial ladder truck from Station 1 at City Hall to Station 2 at the corner of 16th and Covert Streets. Matthews noted that City Hall is the only station the truck would fit in until Station 2 is replaced in 2019.

“A large part of the north end was not within the required distances” for the ladder cover, he said after the meeting.

The construction of a training facility for the county fire department on Camden Avenue also contributed to the improvement, Matthews said.

The Wood County Emergency Services Center is responsible for the fire department, and Matthews noted that, as in 2017, their rating is nearly perfect.

Sue Ellen Waybright, Parkersburg resident and candidate for Parkersburg City Council, speaks at Tuesday's council meeting about a proposal to start council meetings earlier during the winter months. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Matthews and Mayor Tom Joyce noted that the department still has room for improvement, such as improving response times once Station 3 is moved east from 13th and Liberty Streets to Briant Street.

“We owe it to the citizens of Parkersburg to provide them with the best possible fire protection,” Joyce said in the press release.

In other business, the council voted 6-0 for a resolution authorizing a payment of $828.05 to the West Virginia Division of Highways for a change order for a sidewalk project on Gihon Road completed nearly two years ago. Councilwomen Jesse Cottrille and Cathy Dailey and Councilman Chris Rexroad were absent.

Joyce said the city learned its share of the additional costs about 10 months after the project was substantially completed. He said a state official recently told him funding for the proposed St. Marys Avenue road project could be suspended if the balance is not paid.

Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl said she has no problem with the city paying its bills, but there are still aspects of the project that need to be addressed, including issues with a resident's driveway.

Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce discusses a sidewalk project funded by the West Virginia Division of Highways, with 20% funding from the city, during Tuesday's city council meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

“I understand your frustration, but as far as the highway authority is concerned, this project is complete,” Said Joyce.

There was no vote on moving the start time of council meetings from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. from November to February after Councilwoman Wendy Tuck's motion to adopt the resolution was rejected due to lack of support.

Three people raised the proposal during the public forum, including two candidates for council seats in November.

Former City Councilman Jeff Fox, the Democratic candidate for the 9th District seat held by Dailey, said the earlier time may not be convenient for people who have a long commute or who need to feed children or shower after work.

“In my opinion, 6 p.m. is simply too early for something like this,” he said.

Sue Ellen Waybright, the Democrat challenging Kuhl in the Second District, said the change “may work for everyone or not”, He noted, however, that there will be at least three new council members in 2025 and that the races for the other six incumbents are all hotly contested.

“I think this decision should be postponed so that the new council can make the decision that is best for it,” she said, and so did Fox.

Alisa Prince, who challenged Dailey in the Republican primary, said changing the meeting date would conflict with Wood County Board of Education meetings and suggested that if that were the case, the council should move the meeting to a different day, such as the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Currently, the council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

Council President Mike Reynolds, who as chairman does not make or second motions, said after the meeting that he had received positive feedback from residents on the idea of ​​starting council meetings earlier. Because the Urban Renewal Authority meetings are held once a month after council meetings, sometimes proceedings could not be completed until 9 p.m. or later, he said.

“I found it very interesting that the only people who spoke out against the time change were candidates for public office,” Reynolds said after the meeting. “Obviously they were looking for free advertising.”

Fox and Waybright denied this.

“It wasn't about giving free advertising. We wanted to make a point.” said Waybright.

Fox noted that as a council member in 2019, he voted against bringing forward the start time.