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Hilton volunteers open East End substation and urge county to boost equipment funding
Summary
Hilton Volunteer Fire Department members described a new Busy Creek Road substation made possible by community donations and volunteers and asked the board to consider increased funding for equipment and vehicle replacement.
David Musick and other Hilton Volunteer Fire Department members described community donations and volunteer labor that allowed the department to open a Station 2 substation on Busy Creek Road, improving response times on the county’s East End.
"Unit 406 from Hilton's was moved to 6863 Busy Creek Road... Our substation is now ready to respond to calls," Musick told supervisors, describing donated gravel, lumber and equipment that made the facility operational. He introduced the station leadership and noted four members live within a quarter‑mile of the substation.
Musick highlighted rising equipment costs and replacement timelines, telling the board that turnout gear and vehicle replacements have doubled in cost and that a fleet of seven Class A tankers purchased in 2001 would cost more than $450,000 to replace. He asked supervisors to consider the county budget in light of those needs.
Supervisors thanked the volunteer department and accepted invitations to the station’s open celebration. The board also acknowledged the broader county need for fire equipment funding and left further budgetary decisions to the administrator and future budget cycles.
No formal appropriation for the department was made at the meeting, but supervisors recorded appreciation and asked staff to factor equipment needs into upcoming budget discussions.
