Pineville Fire Department Doing Well On Funding, Equipment

RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Members of the Pineville Fire Department include Becky Ernest (front, left), RaeLynne Drake, Lori Byrd, Kimberly Bell, Gregg Sweeten (back, left), Kalee Sweeten, Chief Ryan Drake, Jacob Leake and Lt. Travis Bell.
RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Members of the Pineville Fire Department include Becky Ernest (front, left), RaeLynne Drake, Lori Byrd, Kimberly Bell, Gregg Sweeten (back, left), Kalee Sweeten, Chief Ryan Drake, Jacob Leake and Lt. Travis Bell.

The Pineville Fire Department is doing well on funding and equipment.

The department had four fundraisers this year, according to Fire Chief Ryan Drake, who took over the chief position in January.

"We added a chili and spaghetti dinner in February and a pancake breakfast in March," he said. Additionally, Jesse James Days, the department's largest fundraiser, was in August, and a circus that will give part of its proceeds to the fire department was Oct. 15.

"Jesse James Days went well this year. We had a good crowd out for it," Drake said, noting the festival raised at least $17,000 for the fire department. He said the funds will be used to buy personal protective gear -- either bunker gear or air packs or both.

He said the department purchased eight new sets of bunker gear in January. The department also got a new brush truck this year -- a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado.

"We've been pretty fortunate with the support of the community as far as staying up to date on our equipment," he said.

The department did water rescue training and has a basic firefighter training coming up for area departments hosted by the Missouri University Fire Rescue Training Institute and Division of Fire Safety. Three or four new members are going through the process of joining the department, Drake said. The department has two members in Firefighter 1 and 2, as well as hazmat training through Crowder College.

The fire department has 22 members on its roster.

General News on 10/18/2018