Rep. Nick Joe Rahall visited the Williamson Fire Department Monday and was thanked for his support by Chief Jerry Mounts and Mayor Darrin McCormick.

Mounts, along with Joey Carey, demonstrated the extraction equipment that was purchased using funds obtained by an Assistance to Firefighters Grant written by Chief Mounts and supported by Rahall.

The equipment shown to the Congressman was a spreader and a cutter which can be used to aid in getting vehicle accident victims from cars that have been heavily damaged. The extrication tools, a hydraulic cutter and spreader, mini cutter and ram spreader, cost the department $28,000.

“These tools are the newest on the market,” Chief Mounts said. “They can cut metals that are used on newer cars, such as Boron steel.”

“You deserve this,” Rahall said. “You are on the front lines protecting our people, you make sure we can sleep at night.”

The old tools are still in use by the department as a backup on Rescue 12, a truck used by WFD at accident scenes. The new tools have been used by the department in practice and training situations, but have not  yet been used in an actual emergency situation.

The $28,000 grant, obtained from FEMA under Homeland Security, is the latest in $600,000 the Williamson Fire Department has received since 2002. Chief Mounts has already submitted an application for $58,000 to buy eight air packs for the department.

Rahall said he would work with FEMA to help that application gain approval.

The equipment would keep the department up to code in order to maintain a Class 3 fire rating, which keeps homeowners insurance rates low.

Mounts said there were only five departments in the state of West Virginia that have a Class 3 rating.

Mayor Darrin McCormick said the city is doing what it can to help support the department.

“I want you to understand we are doing what we can at the local level,” he told Rahall. “We do what we can; we want our fire department.”

Rep. Rahall said Williamson's work makes his job easier when asking the Legislature for money for the fire department.

“That will help when we go to bat,” Rahall said. “When you have support, that makes our job easier.”

“We appreciate your work. You make sure Homeland Security is hometown security,” he told Mounts.