Fire department has new home

The firefighters who serve the Monroeton community have known for years that they needed a substation, but until recently, making that a reality just hadn’t been feasible.

“We knew we needed a substation, but it took a long time to get financially able,” Steve Hall, one of the Monroeton Volunteer Fire Department’s board members, said.

But the pieces have fallen in place and on Nov. 15, the department is holding an open house to show off the new substation, located on the corner of Benaja and Van Hook roads.

The department bought three and a half acres of land in 2007. Construction on the building began in March and was completed in June. The department also purchased a new fire engine for the substation. The truck was purchased last December and delivered earlier this month. Instead of raising the fire tax to pay for the upgrades, the department paid for them with loans. The entire project cost just under $821,000, according to board member Chris Robertson.

The location for the new facility was chosen because that area has the longest response time. Hall said finding land in the area was tricky.

“We talked to a lot of folks who wanted this built, but didn’t want to sell their land,” he said. But, he said, the department has gotten nothing but positive responses from those who live in the community.

“Most people want to know when we’re going to get it going,” he said.

The 5,700-square-foot substation was designed as a live-in facility. Two volunteer firefighters will receive room and board in exchange for occupying the building each night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. to respond to calls.

“Our area is totally covered now,” Hall said. The department serves about 40 square miles and responses to about 400 calls each year.

The department’s auxiliary, headed by Mary Etta Richardson, took on the job of decorating the building to make it look and feel like a home. Both bedrooms are decorated nicely, and the facility boasts a full kitchen and living room area.

On the day of the open house, the department will hold a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served until 4 p.m.

The Monroeton Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1967 and was the third department to form in Rockingham County. The department’s chief is Doyle O’Bryant, a Reidsville police officer. Thirteen people serve on the department’s board of directors, and the department has three fire commissioners.

If you want to go:
What: Monroeton Volunteer Fire Department’s substation open house
When: 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 15
Where: Substation, 1041 Benaja Road, Reidsville