Founded by the Thomas Walker Civitan Club in 1970 when the follow people petitioned the Lee County Board of Supervisors and the Virginia State Fire Marshal for authorization to organize and implement a volunteer fire department to serve the Ewing and Rose Hill areas of Lee County, VA:
James Snodgrass
Donnie Wolfe
Don Grabeel
Herman Cowan
Milton Brooks
Jack Gregory
Paul Jones
Rodney Tyler
Frank E
ller
Claude Ray
H.C. Haley
Bill Brown
R.C. Galway
Joe Crockett
Jack Yeary
Eddie Grabeel, Jr. Henry Eldridge
Donald Lee
Phil Hensley
C.M. Lawson
Joe Edds
Emory Crockett
The Thomas Walker Volunteer Fire Department (TWVFD) was organized on April 6th, 1970. Thanks to generous donations from members of the community, the Thomas Walker Volunteer Fire Department was able to buy a 1950 Ford Pumper from a dealer in Roanoke, VA and begin providing fire service to the Ewing, Rose Hill, and surrounding communities of western Lee County, Virginia shortly thereafter. The department has provided fire service to the western end of Lee County continuously since its inception in 1971 as one of the finest rural volunteer fire departments in the State. Throughout the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the department ran all emergency calls with a single piece of apparatus (their second piece of apparatus), an early 1970’s Ford Chassis with a 1500-gallon tank that was fixed to the truck by the high school Agriculture Studies class, welding students. A small pump was then attached to the rear of the tank that provided the water stream. This truck remains as a nearly folkloric icon among the older members because of its difficulty to drive, it was a two speed, manual transmission and few members could master the skills necessary to drive it well. During this time the TWVFD also operated a homemade tanker, a Ford ex-military chassis with a 2000 rectangular welded tank and a portable pump mounted on the rear. In 1985, the Thomas Walker Volunteer fire department bought its first piece apparatus that was factory built, though it was still used; coming from Rocky Ridge VFD in Alabama. It was a 1978 Bean engine on a Ford Chassis. Engine 51, as it was known in the County, became the primary firefighting apparatus for TWVFD for the next 11 years. The next year, TWVFD purchased a Mack Chassis and a 2200-gallon milk tank and Central Fire Apparatus of Elizabethton, TN mounted the tank. The 2200-gallon tanker truck, Tanker 52, became the second operational piece of apparatus in the TWVFD fleet and could also function as a pumper if necessary. Engine 51 remained the 1st due engine until 1997 when the department, after several years of saving, careful budgeting, and fundraising along with a grant through the USDA rural development program was able to buy the first piece of brand new apparatus in its history, a 1997 Freightliner/Pierce pumper. New 51, as it is still called, was a four dour, 5 man cab with a 1250 GPM pump, 1000 gallon tank, and 3 pre connect outlets. After delivery and some inter-department training, New 51 was placed into service and old 51 was semi-retired as the 2nd due engine from Station 2. Tanker 52 remained in service until 2008 when a brand new International 4 Guys pumper/tanker was purchased with the help of a FEMA grant from the U.S. Tanker 52 has a 2 man cab, a 2000 gallon tank with a 1250 GPM pump and 3 pre connects as well. In 2009, TWVFD through a second USDA rural development project grant was able to purchase Brush 53 and shortly thereafter Engine 55, through a FEMA grant, to complete the current fleet. Brush 53 is a 2009 Ford F250 standard cab truck with a 200-gallon tank and the necessary equipment to fight the brush and forest fires. Engine 55 is exactly the same as Engine 51 except that she is newer and only a 2 man cab. Engine 55 is the first due engine for the western portion of the fire district and is housed at Station 2. In 2012, the TWVFD, through the Lee County Foundation, was able to purchase a Polaris RTV off-road rescue/brush vehicle with trailer. This piece of apparatus ensures the department greater access to mountainous areas within the district. Over the years as hiking, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities become more popular, more and more calls originate from these areas. Currently, TWVFD runs approximately 70 calls a year from 2 stations utilizing 2 engines, a pumper-tanker, a brush truck, and the new Polaris off-road vehicle.
