Barren Springs Volunteer Fire Department gets new fire truck
WYTHEVILLE, Va. – The Wythe County Board of Supervisors purchased a new Spartan Rescue Engine for
the Barren Springs Volunteer Fire Department. Barren Springs Chief Josh Stitt said the truck is a muchneeded
resource for the department.
“It’s a relief to get the new fire truck,” Stitt said. “We’re very pleased with the truck. We’re very pleased
with the quality and craftsmanship of the truck. It’s been a good process working with the manufacturer
and the sales company. It has compartments specifically designed to carry the rescue tools and to fit
more equipment for vehicle accidents or specialty rescue needs. It also carries all the hazardous material
equipment that we need on it as well.”
Stitt said officials have been working towards replacing two trucks with this new truck for about four
years.
“We bought some new tools and upgraded some equipment, that way when it’s in service everything is
ready to go,” Stitt said. “We want to meet that need and continue to try and grow. Every time we do a
project, we try to improve our ability to better serve our community.”
Stitt has been a firefighter since 2008. He has been chief at Barren Springs for four years.
“We have a tight knit family here at the fire department,” Stitt said. “It truly is a family. We do our best
to take care of anyone in our community, any way that we can. We’re also always looking for new
firefighters to help protect our community. Please let us know if you would like to join our team.”
The new truck will replace two older trucks in their existing fleet. One of the trucks is a 1994 fire engine
that was expensive to maintain and operate and the other is a 1989 GMC equipment truck.
The Wythe County Board of Supervisors approved funding for the approximately $570,000 purchase out
of the county’s general fund. “They agreed to make the purchase,” Stitt said. “They set aside the funds
to do so. The purchase was about $570,000. We did add a few features after that, as we put a deck gun
on it. The department paid for those additions.”
While the purchase of the truck was paid by Wythe County, the department looks for grants from local
organizations and foundations, as well as donations, to assist with equipping the truck.
Supervisor Coy McRoberts stated “I think the new truck for Barren Springs Fire Department will be a
great asset. These men and women work hard to keep their department at its best and Wythe County
providing this truck will better enable them to perform their duties. Furthermore, I would like to
express my appreciation for all that the Barren Springs Fire Department members do to keep our
community safe.”
If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Wythe County
officials, please call Blake Stowers at 276-223-4522 or email Blake at wythepio@wytheco.org