Winter fire safety

Removing snow from around hydrants a crucial part of winter fire safety

In the winter months, it’s especially important to be conscious of how snow-covered fire hydrants can delay fire services, costing crucial seconds or minutes that can mean the difference between saving a structure and its inhabitants and not doing so.

a fire hydrant covered in snow

Photo courtesy of MLive.com

The Boston Globe reported last winter that the city’s fire department was deploying teams of fire fighters to dig out hydrants covered by the city’s record snow fall. According to the article, a hydrant needs about a foot of space below its valve, and another two feet of space all around it. This space allows fire fighters to attach hoses to the valve and rotate the hydrant wrench.

As Lieutenant Kevin Jordan of the Boston Fire Department explained to the Globe, a fire engine holds about two to five minutes’ worth of water. When that is used up, hydrants become indispensable, as every passing second allows a fire to grow.

In 2013, a fire destroyed a Boston home when firefighters were delayed by a hydrant obstructed by snow. In contrast, this past winter a New Hampshire home was saved because a neighbor cleared the hydrant off before fire services arrived.

In many regions of the country, shoveling out fire hydrants become a necessity during the winter. While property owners are legally obligated to clear their sidewalks, no such regulations govern the clearing of hydrants. It’s important, then, that private citizens do their part by clearing snow away from hydrants in a timely manner. The work of just a few minutes might later prove to be vital to the safety of you or your neighbors

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2015 Stats

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End of the year stats for Co. 20 are in! Members from Co. 20 responded to 1158 calls for service, including 28 building fires, 8 cooking fires, 7 vehicles fires, 7 brush fires, 65 vehicle accidents with injuries (13 extrication and 4 vehicle vs pedestrians), and 82 vehicle accidents with no injuries.

Top Responders for the year of 2015 were:

FF Jacob Peretin- 327 calls
Duty Officer Justin Knotts- 313 calls
Captain/EMT Ryan Gillespie- 309 calls
Duty Officer Adam Thompson- 268 calls
Lieutenant/EMT Ethan Bailey- 267 calls
FF Brian Sites- 229 calls
Chief Kris Osecky- 224 calls
FF/EMT Jared Lamb- 221 calls
FF Chris Eisenhut- 214 calls
FF Thomas Sites- 213 calls
Duty Officer/EMT Dennis Chaney- 199 calls
FF/EMT Wendell Hofer- 193 calls
EMS Chief Megan Simmons- 189 calls
Lieutenant Sam Hannah- 184 calls
FF/EMT Mike Singer- 146 calls
FF Zach Karn/ FF/EMT Cory Thomas- 129 calls
FF/EMT Joe McVey- 127 calls
FF/EMT Morgan Langston- 117 calls
FF/EMT Jesse Hedrick- 109 calls
FF/EMT Joe Klass- 103 calls

Company 20 would like to thank Blacksville VFD, Brookhaven VFD, Cassville VFD, Cheat Lake VFD, Clinton District VFD, Cool Springs VFD, Granville VFD, Triune-Halleck VFD, Westover VFD, Mt Morris (PA) VFD, and Monongalia County HIRT for all the help with mutual aid that they have provided in 2015!

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12/16/2015: “Shop with a Cop”

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12/16/2015: Members of Company 20, Company 17, Star City PD, and Granville PD all participated in the annual “Shop with a Cop” night at Walmart in the University Town Centre. Hundreds of local children participated in this community outreach event where the children were allowed to pick out items from “Mr. C” from their Christmas lists. Thanks goes out to all firefighters and officers involved with special thanks to the University Town Centre Walmart for their continued support of this worthwhile cause to make the Christmas season a little brighter for children in our community.

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12/11/15: Star City Christmas Parade

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Today, 12/11/15, the Town of Star City hosted it’s annual Christmas Parade. Members from Companies 20, 13, 21 and 23 all participated in the festivities as well as many other floats, bands, dance troops and members from the greater Morgantown area. After the parade concluded everyone was invited to stop by Company 20 for the lighting of the Christmas tree and to partake in light refreshments provided by the Town of Star City…we even had a visit from Santa himself. A special thanks to all the organizers of the event from the Town of Star City for this enjoyable community event.

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Saint Mary’s Christmas Tree Lighting

Earlier this evening, Company 20 assisted Saint Mary’s Catholic Church with the lighting of their Christmas tree. With the help of Tower 204, Boy Scout Troop 44, and Saint Mary’s church members, the tree was lit just in time for the upcoming Christmas season. Thank you to Saint Mary’s for asking us to assist – we are always happy to serve our community!

October Run Stats

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Stats are in for the month of October!!

Company 20 responded to 75 calls for service.  Included in those numbers were 2 working structure fires, 2 working vehicle fires, 8 vehicle accidents with injury (2 with entrapment) and 4 vehicle accidents without injury.

Top responders for the month of October were:

Firefighter Jacob Peretin – 39 calls

Firefighter Chris Eisenhut – 26 calls

Duty Officer Justin Knotts – 25 calls

Duty Officer Adam Thompson & Firefighter Jared Lamb – 22 calls

Lieutenant Sam Hannah – 21 calls

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WVU Homecoming Parade

1-IMG_944110/9/2015: Today Company 20 personnel participated in WVU’s annual homecoming parade in downtown Morgantown. Engine 201 and Squad 203 attended with full crews and were available on scene and during parade to respond to any incidents. Company 20 crews as well as all spectators enjoyed the sights, sounds and events surrounding homecoming as many people return to Morgantown to celebrate. LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!


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Remembering September 11, 2001

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Today September 11, 2015 the members of Star City Fire and EMS pause, reflect, remember and honor those individuals from Police, EMS and Fire that made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001. Daily these and countless other bold and fearless public servants suit up, head out and face the challenges of the day knowing full well that when they leave their friends and loved ones at home that they may never come home again. Today we do not mourn the deaths of those who have gone on before us, but rather choose to celebrate their lives and honor the selfless sacrifices made on that fateful day. Rest well our brothers and sisters. Listed below are all the confirmed line of duty deaths on September 11, 2001:

FDNY Chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., 54
FDNY Commissioner William M. Feehan, 72
FDNY Marshal Ronald Paul Bucca, 47
FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge, 68
Battalion 1
  • Chief Matthew Lancelot Ryan, 54
  • Lt. Paul Thomas Mitchell, 46
Battalion 2
  • Chief William McGovern, 49
  • Chief Richard Prunty, 57
  • Faustino Apostol, Jr., 55
Battalion 4 Lt. Thomas O’Hagan, 43
Battalion 6 Chief John P. Williamson, 46
Battalion 7
  • Chief Orio Palmer, 45
  • Lt. Stephen G. Harrell, 44
  • Lt. Philip Scott Petti, 43
Battalion 8
  • Chief Thomas Patrick DeAngelis, 51
  • Thomas McCann, 45
Battalion 9
  • Chief Dennis Lawrence Devlin, 51
  • Chief Edward F. Geraghty, 45
  • Lt. Charles William Garbarini, 44
  • Carl Asaro, 39
  • Alan D. Feinberg, 48
Battalion 11 Chief John M. Paolillo, 51
Battalion 12 Chief Frederick Claude Scheffold, Jr., 57
Battalion 22 Lt. Charles Joseph Margiotta, 44
Battalion 43 Lt. Geoffrey E. Guja, 49
Battalion 47 Lt. Anthony Jovic, 39
Battalion 48
  • Chief Joseph Grzelak, 52
  • Michael Leopoldo Bocchino, 45
Battalion 49
  • Chief John Moran, 42
Battalion 50 Chief Lawrence T. Stack, 58
Battalion 57
  • Chief Dennis Cross, 60
  • Chief Joseph Ross Marchbanks, Jr, 47
Division 1
  • Capt. Joseph D. Farrelly, 47
  • Capt. Thomas Moody, 45
Division 11 Capt. Timothy M. Stackpole, 42
Division 15
  • Chief Thomas Theodore Haskell, Jr., 37
  • Capt. Martin J. Egan, Jr., 36
  • Capt. William O’Keefe, 48
Engine 1
  • Lt. Andrew Desperito, 43
  • Michael T. Weinberg, 34
Engine 4
  • Calixto Anaya, Jr, 35
  • James C. Riches, 29
  • Thomas G. Schoales, 27
  • Paul A. Tegtmeier, 41
Engine 5 Manuel Del Valle, Jr, 32
Engine 6
  • Paul Beyer, 37
  • Thomas Holohan, 36
  • William R. Johnston, 31
Engine 8 Robert Parro, 35
Engine 10
  • Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas, 44
  • Jeffrey James Olsen, 31
Engine 21 Capt. William Francis Burke, Jr., 46
Engine 22
  • Thomas Anthony Casoria, 29
  • Michael J. Elferis, 27
  • Vincent D. Kane, 37
  • Martin E. McWilliams, 35
Engine 23
  • Robert McPadden, 30
  • James Nicholas Pappageorge, 29
  • Hector Luis Tirado, Jr., 30
  • Mark P. Whitford, 31
Engine 26
  • Capt. Thomas Farino, 37
  • Dana R Hannon, 29
Engine 29 Michael Ragusa, 29
Engine 33
  • Lt. Kevin Pfeifer, 42
  • David Arce, 36
  • Michael Boyle, 37
  • Robert Evans, 36
  • Keithroy Marcellus Maynard, 30
Engine 37 John Giordano, 47
Engine 40
  • Lt. John F. Ginley, 37
  • Kevin Bracken, 37
  • Michael D. D’Auria, 25
  • Bruce Gary, 51
  • Steven Mercado, 38
Engine 50 Robert W. Spear, Jr., 30
Engine 54
  • Paul John Gill, 34
  • Jose Guadalupe, 37
  • Christopher Santora, 23
Engine 55
  • Lt. Peter L. Freund, 45
  • Robert Lane, 28
  • Christopher Mozzillo, 27
  • Stephen P. Russell, 40
Engine 58 Lt. Robert B. Nagel, 55
Engine 74 Ruben D. Correa, 44
Engine 201
  • Lt. Paul Richard Martini, 37
  • Gregory Joseph Buck, 37
  • Christopher Pickford, 32
  • John Albert Schardt, 34
Engine 205 Lt. Robert Francis Wallace, 43
Engine 207
  • Karl Henry Joseph, 25
  • Shawn Edward Powell, 32
  • Kevin O. Reilly, 28
Engine 214
  • Lt. Carl John Bedigian, 35
  • John Joseph Florio, 33
  • Michael Edward Roberts, 31
  • Kenneth Thomas Watson, 39
Engine 216 Daniel Suhr, 37
Engine 217
  • Lt. Kenneth Phelan, 41
  • Steven Coakley, 36
  • Philip T. Hayes, 67
  • Neil Joseph Leavy, 34
Engine 219 John Chipura, 39
Engine 226
  • Brian McAleese, 36
  • David Paul De Rubbio, 38
  • Stanley S. Smagala, Jr., 36
Engine 230
  • Lt. Brian G. Ahearn, 43
  • Frank Bonomo, 42
  • Michael Scott Carlo, 34
  • Jeffrey Stark, 30
  • Eugene Whelan, 31
  • Edward James White III, 30
Engine 235
  • Lt. Steven Bates, 42
  • Nicholas Paul Chiofalo, 39
  • Francis Esposito, 32
  • Lee S. Fehling, 28
  • Lawrence G. Veling, 44
Engine 238 Lt. Glenn E. Wilkinson, 46
Engine 279
  • Ronnie Lee Henderson, 52
  • Anthony Rodriguez, 36
Engine 285 Raymond R. York, 45
Engine 320 Capt. James J. Corrigan, 60
Haz-Mat 1
  • Lt. John A. Crisci, 48
  • Dennis M. Carey, 51
  • Martin N. DeMeo, 47
  • Thomas Gardner, 39
  • Jonathan R. Hohmann, 48
  • Dennis Scauso, 46
  • Kevin Joseph Smith, 47
Ladder 2
  • Capt. Frederick Ill, Jr, 49
  • Michael J. Clarke, 27
  • George DiPasquale, 33
  • Denis P. Germain, 33
  • Daniel Edward Harlin, 41
  • Carl Molinaro, 32
  • Dennis Michael Mulligan, 32
Ladder 3
  • Capt. Patrick J. Brown, 48
  • Lt. Kevin W. Donnelly, 43
  • Michael Carroll, 39
  • James Raymond Coyle, 26
  • Gerard Dewan, 35
  • Jeffrey John Giordano, 45
  • Joseph Maloney, 45
  • John Kevin McAvoy, 47
  • Timothy Patrick McSweeney, 37
  • Joseph J. Ogren, 30
  • Steven John Olson, 38
Ladder 4
  • Capt. David Terence Wooley, 54
  • Lt. Daniel O’Callaghan, 42
  • Joseph Angelini, Jr, 38
  • Peter Brennan, 30
  • Michael E. Brennan, 27
  • Michael Haub, 34
  • Michael F. Lynch, 33
  • Samuel Oitice, 45
  • John James Tipping II, 33
Ladder 5
  • Lt. Vincent Francis Giammona, 40
  • Lt. Michael Warchola, 51
  • Louis Arena, 32
  • Andrew Brunn, 28
  • Thomas Hannafin, 36
  • Paul Hanlon Keating, 38
  • John A. Santore, 49
  • Gregory Thomas Saucedo, 31
Ladder 7
  • Capt. Vernon Allan Richard, 53
  • George Cain, 35
  • Robert Joseph Foti, 42
  • Richard Muldowney Jr, 40
  • Charles Mendez, 38
  • Vincent Princiotta, 39
Ladder 8 Lt. Vincent Gerard Halloran, 43
Ladder 9
  • Gerard Baptiste, 35
  • John P. Tierney, 27
  • Jeffrey P. Walz, 37
Ladder 10 Sean Patrick Tallon, 26
Ladder 11
  • Lt. Michael Quilty, 42
  • Michael F. Cammarata, 22
  • Edward James Day, 45
  • John F. Heffernan, 37
  • Richard John Kelly, Jr, 50
  • Robert King, Jr, 36
  • Matthew Rogan, 37
Ladder 12
  • Angel L. Juarbe, Jr, 35
  • Michael D. Mullan, 34
Ladder 13
  • Capt. Walter G. Hynes, 46
  • Thomas Hetzel, 33
  • Dennis McHugh, 34
  • Thomas E. Sabella, 44
  • Gregory Stajk, 46
Ladder 15
  • Lt. Joseph Gerard Leavey, 45
  • Richard Lanard Allen, 30
  • Arthur Thaddeus Barry, 35
  • Thomas W. Kelly, 50
  • Scott Kopytko, 32
  • Scott Larsen, 35
  • Douglas E. Oelschlager, 36
  • Eric T. Olsen, 41
Ladder 16
  • Lt. Raymond E. Murphy, 46
  • Robert Curatolo, 31
Ladder 20
  • Capt. John R. Fischer, 46
  • John Patrick Burnside, 36
  • James Michael Gray, 34
  • Sean S. Hanley, 35
  • David Laforge, 50
  • Robert Thomas Linnane, 33
  • Robert D. McMahon, 35
Ladder 21
  • Gerald T. Atwood, 38
  • Gerard Duffy, 53
  • Keith Glascoe, 38
  • Joseph Henry, 25
  • William E. Krukowski, 36
  • Benjamin Suarez, 34
Ladder 24
  • Capt. Daniel J. Brethel, 43
  • Stephen Elliot Belson, 51
Ladder 25
  • Lt. Glenn C. Perry, 41
  • Matthew Barnes, 37
  • John Michael Collins, 42
  • Kenneth Kumpel, 42
  • Robert Minara, 54
  • Joseph Rivelli, 43
  • Paul G. Ruback, 50
Ladder 27 John Marshall, 35
Ladder 35
  • Capt. Frank Callahan, 51
  • James Andrew Giberson, 43
  • Vincent S. Morello, 34
  • Michael Otten, 42
  • Michael Roberts, 30
Ladder 38 Joseph Spor, Jr., 35
Ladder 42 Peter Alexander Bielfeld, 44
Ladder 101
  • Lt. Joseph Gullickson, 37
  • Patrick Byrne, 39
  • Salvatore B. Calabro, 38
  • Brian Cannizzaro, 30
  • Thomas J. Kennedy, 36
  • Joseph Maffeo, 31
  • Terence A. McShane, 37
Ladder 105
  • Capt. Vincent Brunton, 43
  • Thomas Richard Kelly, 39
  • Henry Alfred Miller, Jr, 51
  • Dennis O’Berg, 28
  • Frank Anthony Palombo, 46
Ladder 111 Lt. Christopher P. Sullivan, 39
Ladder 118
  • Lt. Robert M. Regan, 48
  • Joseph Agnello, 35
  • Vernon Paul Cherry, 49
  • Scott Matthew Davidson, 33
  • Leon Smith, Jr., 48
  • Peter Anthony Vega, 36
Ladder 131 Christian Michael Otto Regenhard, 28
Ladder 132
  • Andrew Jordan, 36
  • Michael Kiefer, 25
  • Thomas Mingione, 34
  • John T. Vigiano II, 36
  • Sergio Villanueva, 33
Ladder 136 Michael Joseph Cawley, 32
Ladder 166 William X. Wren, 61
Rescue 1
  • Capt. Terence S. Hatton, 41
  • Lt. Dennis Mojica, 50
  • Joseph Angelini, Sr., 63
  • Gary Geidel, 44
  • William Henry, 49
  • Kenneth Joseph Marino, 40
  • Michael Montesi, 39
  • Gerard Terence Nevins, 46
  • Patrick J. O’Keefe, 44
  • Brian Edward Sweeney, 29
  • David M. Weiss, 41
Rescue 2
  • Lt. Peter C. Martin, 43
  • William David Lake, 44
  • Daniel F. Libretti, 43
  • John Napolitano, 32
  • Kevin O’Rourke, 44
  • Lincoln Quappe, 38
  • Edward Rall, 44
Rescue 3
  • Christopher Joseph Blackwell, 42
  • Thomas Foley, 32
  • Thomas Gambino, Jr., 48
  • Raymond Meisenheimer, 46
  • Donald J. Regan, 47
  • Gerard Patrick Schrang, 45
Rescue 4
  • Capt. Brian Hickey, 47
  • Lt. Kevin Dowdell, 46
  • Terrence Patrick Farrell, 45
  • William J. Mahoney, 37
  • Peter Allen Nelson, 42
  • Durrell V. Pearsall, 34
Rescue 5
  • Capt. Louis Joseph Modafferi, 45
  • Lt. Harvey Harrell, 49
  • John P. Bergin, 39
  • Carl Vincent Bini, 44
  • Michael Curtis Fiore, 46
  • Andre G. Fletcher, 37
  • Douglas Charles Miller, 34
  • Jeffrey Matthew Palazzo, 33
  • Nicholas P. Rossomando, 35
  • Allan Tarasiewicz, 45
Special Operations
  • Chief Raymond Mathew Downey, 63
  • Capt. Patrick J. Waters, 44
  • Lt. Timothy Higgins, 43
  • Lt. Michael Thomas Russo, Sr, 44
Squad 1
  • Capt. James M. Amato, 43
  • Lt. Edward A. D’Atri, 38
  • Lt. Michael Esposito, 41
  • Lt. Michael N. Fodor, 53
  • Brian Bilcher, 37
  • Gary Box, 37
  • Thomas M. Butler, 37
  • Peter Carroll, 42
  • Robert Cordice, 28
  • David J. Fontana, 37
  • Matthew David Garvey, 37
  • Stephen Gerard Siller, 34
Squad 18
  • Lt. William E. McGinn, 43
  • Eric Allen, 44
  • Andrew Fredricks, 40
  • David Halderman, 40
  • Timothy Haskell, 34
  • Manuel Mojica, 37
  • Lawrence Virgilio, 38
Squad 41
  • Lt. Michael K. Healey, 42
  • Thomas Patrick Cullen III, 31
  • Robert Hamilton, 43
  • Michael J. Lyons, 32
  • Gregory Sikorsky, 34
  • R. Bruce Van Hine, 48
Squad 252
  • Tarel Coleman, 32
  • Thomas Kuveikis, 48
  • Peter J. Langone, 41
  • Patrick Lyons, 34
  • Kevin Prior, 28
Squad 288
  • Lt. Ronald T. Kerwin, 42
  • Ronnie E. Gies, 43
  • Joseph Hunter, 31
  • Jonathan Lee Ielpi, 29
  • Adam David Rand, 30
  • Timothy Matthew Welty, 34
EMS Battalion 49
  • Paramedic Carlos R. Lillo, 37
EMS Battalion 57
  • Paramedic Ricardo J. Quinn, 40

Port Authority Police Department

  • Supt. Ferdinand V. Morrone, 63
  • Chief James A. Romito, 51
  • Lt. Robert D. Cirri
  • Insp. Anthony P. Infante, Jr., 47
  • Capt. Kathy Nancy Mazza, 46
  • Sgt. Robert M. Kaulfers, 49
  • Donald James McIntyre, 38
  • Walter Arthur McNeil, 53
  • Joseph Michael Navas, 44
  • James Nelson, 40
  • Alfonse J. Niedermeyer, 40
  • James Wendell Parham, 32
  • Dominick A. Pezzulo, 36
  • Antonio J. Rodrigues, 35
  • Richard Rodriguez, 31
  • Bruce Albert Reynolds, 41
  • Christopher C. Amoroso, 29
  • Maurice V. Barry, 48
  • Clinton Davis, Sr., 38
  • Donald A. Foreman, 53
  • Gregg J. Froehner, 46
  • Uhuru Gonga Houston, 32
  • George G. Howard, 44
  • Thomas E. Gorman
  • Stephen Huczko, Jr., 44
  • Paul William Jurgens, 47
  • Liam Callahan, 44
  • Paul Laszczynski, 49
  • David Prudencio Lemagne, 27
  • John Joseph Lennon, Jr., 44
  • John Dennis Levi, 50
  • James Francis Lynch, 47
  • John P. Skala, 31
  • Walwyn W. Stuart, Jr., 28
  • Kenneth F. Tietjen, 31
  • Nathaniel Webb
  • Michael T. Wholey
  • Sirius, K-9

New York City Police Department

  • Sgt. Timothy A. Roy, Sr., 36
  • Sgt. John Gerard Coughlin, 43
  • Sgt. Rodney C. Gillis, 33
  • Sgt. Michael S. Curtin, 45
  • Det. Joseph V. Vigiano, 34
  • Det. Claude Daniel Richards, 46
  • Moira Ann Smith, 38
  • Ramon Suarez, 45
  • Paul Talty, 40
  • Santos Valentin, Jr., 39
  • Walter E. Weaver, 30
  • Ronald Philip Kloepfer, 39
  • Thomas M. Langone, 39
  • James Patrick Leahy, 38
  • Brian Grady McDonnell, 38
  • John William Perry, 38
  • Glen Kerrin Pettit, 30
  • John D’Allara, 47
  • Vincent Danz, 38
  • Jerome M. P. Dominguez, 37
  • Stephen P. Driscoll, 38
  • Mark Joseph Ellis, 26
  • Robert Fazio, Jr., 41

Private emergency medical services

  • Keith Fairben, 24, – Paramedic
  • Richard Pearlman, 18, – EMT
  • Mario Santoro, 28 –  Paramedic
  • Yamel Merino, 24 – EMT
  • Mohammad Salman Hamdani, 23 – EMT and also a member of the New York City Police Department Cadet Corps
  • Marc Sullins, 30 – EMT
  • Mark Schwartz, 50 – EMT
  • Jeff Simpson, 38 – EMT

Slide the City

IMG_3990Slide the City, a 1000 foot waterslide that travels the country, is in town at Mylan Park today! Ambulances 27 and 29 are providing primary EMS for the event until 1900.

Star City EMS Now Hiring

Star City EMS is currently looking to hire EMTs and Paramedics. Both full time and part time positions are now accepting applications. Those interested can obtain further information by calling 304-599-1539, or by filling out the application below.

Star City EMS Application