This summer marks an unprecedented time for Woodville and the rest of the United States of America, the 250th anniversary of our great nation.  On July 4^th we will fire up the grills, listen to our favorite music and celebrate with friends and family. Our communities will gather for festivities and professional fireworks displays. When it comes to fireworks, some folks like doing their own thing.

While the Woodville Volunteer Fire Department typically encourages the public to attend professional fireworks shows, this year we recognize the importance of also sharing guidance on responsible fireworks use. We encourage all fire departments to help spread these safety messages.

Here are some basic fireworks safety reminders for your community:

• Be courteous and let your neighbors, especially those with young children, elderly family members, or pets, know you are about to make it sound like 1776.
• Fireworks can frighten pets, causing them to run away or become injured. Fireworks can also start wildfires—use extreme caution, especially in our current dry conditions.
• Always use fireworks outdoors in a clear, open area away from homes, vehicles, dry grass, trees, and other flammable materials.
• Never place any part of your body over a firework when lighting it and never aim fireworks at another person.
• Never pick up or try to reignite faulty fireworks.they can go off unexpectedly and cause injury.
• Lastly Be Prepared: Keep a bucket of water, garden hose, or fire extinguisher nearby in case of fire or malfunction.

Let’s work together to keep our communities safe while celebrating this historic summer. Share these tips widely and encourage responsible fireworks use.

Richard Meuth, Fire Chief

Woodville Volunteer Fire Department

Your Woodville Volunteer Fire Department is in search of land for a fire station.  Yes, the Brotherhood of Dragon Slayers are looking for their own cave to call home and a place to house a tanker or engine. The station and apparatus housed inside would help you save on your homeowner’s insurance cost.

 Why is this important to you, and how will it save you money?

When your insurance rate is calculated a key factor is the distance of your home from the nearest fire station, housing a tanker or engine that meets ISO requirements, with five miles being the magic number.  You read that right, if you are within five miles of a fire station your insurance rates will be significantly lower. 

Currently, if your home is east of the 6600 block of Natural Bridge Road, this means your home is not within 5 miles of the current fire station, so your insurance class code is a 10. This class code raises your cost higher than those who live west of the same address. The homes that are west of 6600 Natural Bridge Road have an insurance code of 9 because the properties are located within 5 miles of the fire station. These ratings are factored into the calculation of your homeowner’s insurance premium. Aside from the distance from a fire station, part of the ISO rating comes from a fire department’s available water supply. The measuring factor for this rating is the distance (1000 feet) from your home to the nearest hydrant. A tanker or an engine with a minimum of 750 gallons of water housed in the proposed station would put a water supply closer to your home, adding another layer of protection, plus that would also positively affect your insurance rates.  

Your Woodville Volunteer Firefighters are all about our community, and we want to help you.  But, for us to help you, we need land on which to build a fire station. To help the ISO ratings and provide help with insurance rates, the station must be at or East of the 6600 block of Natural Bridge Road.

So, if you or someone you know has 1 or 2 acres of land near 6600 Natural Bridge Road and would be willing to sign a long-term lease with our department, I would like to talk to you.

Please contact me by email, (wvfd1300@yahoo.com) or call me at 850-933-4018

Richard Meuth, Fire Chief