Back in the early 1980's Canaan Valley was expanding rapidly. The state park had the ski area up and running and opened the main lodge. Timberline was growing and Canaan Valley Stores had opened its doors. Because the Davis VFD was the closest department, some of the local businesses felt there was a need for expanded fire coverage on this end of the county.

 

Jim and Ralph Good lobbied for and received grant funding from Governor Rockefeller's office for a building. Locals Ben and Dorothy Thompson donated a small parcel of land for the building. In early 1982, the Canaan Valley Station of the Davis Volunteer Fire Department was born.

 

Some were recruited, some conscripted, and others joined on their own, but a new group of young men and women signed on to serve the community, and we held our first Firefighter 1 class sometime that summer.

 

With the strong support of the Davis VFD we operated for three years, running calls both in Canaan and Davis. Fun fact: All emergency calls at that time we being taken by the Hinkle Funeral Home in Davis, as it was the only place that had a phone that was answered by a human on a 24-hours basis. Bless them for bearing that burden in those years.

 

On September 26, 1985, the Canaan Valley Volunteer Fire Department was chartered, and we began to walk on our own two feet. With the generous support of the community, it is now a well run, financially strong department that is ready and able to carry out its mission.