West Virginia Guard soldiers help prevent volunteer fire department roof collapse

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Debra Richardson | A week after Hurricane Sandy struck the East coast, residents in Davis, W.Va., are still fighting the effects of the massive blizzard that deposited six feet of snow. Soldiers with the West Virginia Army National Guard are conducting relief efforts that consist of transporting food and water, running chainsaw crews and clearing the roads of snow and other debris.  

DAVIS , WV, UNITED STATES

11.02.2012

Story by Staff Sgt. Debra Richardson 

153rd Public Affairs Detachment

DAVIS, W.Va. — The town of Davis, a popular tourist attraction for skiers nationwide, has an elevation of 3,200 feet and boasts the slogan, “It’s almost always snow season.” With average snowfall of 160 inches per year, the tiny population of 670 has become accustomed to low temperatures and deep snow. Should the residents ever be in need of aid, the well established volunteer fire department is located right down the street, to act as a shelter for those without heat, food or water.

But after Hurricane Sandy dumped more than six feet of snow in less than 36 hours, the haven of the volunteer fire department was also at risk.

“We received a call from the Elkins emergency operations center that a building in Davis might collapse,” explained Sgt. Jeff Wietrzykowski, an electrician with 115th engineering battalion out of Clarksburg, W.Va.

As a member of the W.Va. National Guard’s CERFP team, or (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive) Enhanced Response Force Package, Wietrzykowski and other CERFP soldiers have been trained on rescue and extraction techniques, specifically within collapsed structures.

“During my CERFP training, we were taught about different types of structures and how to identify the different types of events or situations that can cause various structures to collapse,” Wietrzykowski said. “However,” he said jokingly, “snow accumulation wasn’t on that list.”

Upon arrival at the Davis Volunteer Fire Department, Wietrzykowski and his team examined the outside of the building but didn’t see any physical damage to the walls or roof. After being escorted inside however, the team realized the structural integrity of the building was at risk.

“These walls are just held together by wooden beams and metal stringers,” explained firefighter Lt. John Felton, whose been a member of the Davis volunteer fire department for 14 years. “If you look here, you can see how this metal beam has pushed through the paneling almost two inches.”

Even though the snow had melted a good six inches, each night new snowflakes pummeled the roof and as the temperature continued to drop, what appeared to be a winter wonderland on top of their roof quickly became a collapse risk.

“This snow is heavy and wet,” Felton said. “I lived here all my life and I’m used to deep snow but this snow accumulated so quickly in such a short period of time that I’m afraid the weight is going to bring the entire building down.”

Without hesitation, Wietrzykowski and his team climbed a ladder, picked up snow shovels and worked tirelessly for five hours to remove the estimated 5,600 cubic feet of snow from the side of the roof with the weakest support beams.

“By no means am I a subject matter expert, but it’s imperative to remove the weight of this snow from roofs if people believe the structural integrity is at risk,” explained Sgt. Franklin Stout, a carpenter with the 115 Engineering Battalion and member of the CERFP team. “This fire department is being used as a shelter and I don’t want to think about the risks involved in having civilians in here without taking some form of precautionary measure to ensure the roof doesn’t collapse.”

CERFP teams have been deployed to several counties across the state but this is the first time one of the teams were called in time to prevent a roof collapse. While the CERFP teams are not specifically trained to deal with precautionary methods, in this case, it seemed common sense.

“The firefighters are out delivering food to local residents and trying to clear roads and take care of their own families, and they just didn’t have enough hands to help clear this roof,” said Stout. “I’m glad they asked for help and I’m glad we were able to help. We’re both with professional organizations and it’s nice to be able to help an essential and critical organization like a volunteer fire department.”

After clearing the roof, the soldiers were greeted with a home-cooked meal.

“Nothing says thank you to a soldier like warm food,” Wietrzykowski said. “But in all seriousness, this is why state active duty is so important to soldiers. We don’t always get to work in our own communities, but we know that a Guard soldier, or a volunteer fire fighter, is helping our families while we carry out the Guard mission. It’s one of those giving cycles, like pay it forward, and you know in the end, everyone participating will benefit from it.”

• Date Taken: 11.02.2012
• Date Posted: 11.04.2012 14:52
• Story ID: 97265
• Location: DAVIS , WV, US
• Hometown: CLARKSBURG, WV, US
• Hometown: ELKINS, WV, US
• Hometown: KINGWOOD, WV, US