Chief Whitlow told the Wythe County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 26 that the department logged about 24 official dispatches during Hurricane Helene and conducted multiple rescues and evacuations, supported by outside teams including the Chesterfield Swiftwater Rescue Team. He said crews removed at least 15 downed trees, addressed two power lines in the roadway, and helped two people who were stranded in water. "We had 15 trees down during that time," he said, adding that the number of actual calls was likely higher than official dispatch records.

Whitlow outlined manpower and equipment use during the event: he estimated approximately 1,486 response hours during the storm and 1,381 staffing hours after the initial response, plus generator use, apparatus-hours for engines and tankers, and tool hours. He described how Rescue Engine 52, recently placed in service, logged about 15 hours on the event and how other units were rotated back into service to maintain coverage. "We staff the firehouse 24 hours a day, for seven straight days mainly because the telephone lines were down in our area," he said, noting community members came to the station because 911 and internet services were unavailable.

The chief described relief efforts at the station: distribution of roughly eight to nine pallets of water, two pallets of sports drinks, more than 30 cleaning buckets, hygiene supplies, baby food, diapers and other donated items distributed through Oct. 25 following the storm. He said leftover supplies were forwarded to North Carolina and Tennessee flood victims and the remainder placed in blessing boxes at Speedwell Methodist Church. Whitlow credited local businesses and volunteers — naming Piglicious (a local restaurant) and other venues — for feeding crews and residents during the emergency.

Whitlow also reported identified gaps in equipment and training. He said donated funds have been spent on immediate response and some remaining funds will be used to purchase safety equipment and to prepare personnel for future incidents. "We saw some deficiencies that we have in equipment and training," he said, and added that department leadership plans to prioritize firefighter safety with remaining donations.

Board members repeatedly thanked the department; the chair said the county would confirm that a previously drafted thank-you letter to Chesterfield and other assisting organizations had been sent. The board also noted that out-of-state donations were distributed to seven of the hardest-hit families and that no additional county action was requested at the meeting.

The department's presentation emphasized the operational strain of the event and the role of volunteers and mutual‑aid partners in rescues and welfare checks. No formal funding motion was made during the meeting; supervisors instead gave procedural direction to staff and expressed appreciation for the department's work.

The board moved from the presentation to the next agenda items after expressing thanks and asking staff to confirm outgoing correspondence to partner agencies.