OFFERING THOUGHTS — Lt. Mike Serafine, president of the Weirton IAFF Local 948, was among those discussing ideas for the potential reopening of the County Road Fire Station as part of a council work session held Tuesday. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — Weirton officials agreed Tuesday to look into the possibility of reopening the County Road Fire Station, but said it will take time to finalize the details and most likely will require a new source of revenue.

Members of Weirton Council met with representatives of the Weirton Fire Department in a work session Tuesday, to review the long-discussed proposal of reopening the fire station located on County Road.

“I know we’ve talked about this several times,” Fire Chief Kevin Himmelrick said, noting the last time was during a workshop in May. “Seven months has gone by and I’ve not been asked one question.”

In order to reopen the station, though, Himmelrick said the plan would include the hiring of six new firefighters, which he said also would help to cut down on overtime used by the department and provide improved fire coverage for the city.

Through those hirings, each shift would include one shift commander, two firefighters at County Road, four at Gilson Avenue and four at Headquarters Station. Himmelrick indicated there would be enough trucks currently available to staff the three stations.

Finance Director Diana Smoljanovich, however, said there isn’t any funding available in the 2025-2026 fiscal budget to be able to cover hiring any new personnel, noting a need to adjust the budget to cover increased costs for health insurance.

“I think the best course is to look at another revenue stream,” she said.

One potential option discussed was an increase in either the city’s Municipal Service Fee – which assesses $2 per week to those who work in the city. It was noted the fee hasn’t been adjusted since it was established in 2004, when a previous city administration planned for revenue from the fee to be used for street paving.

Several noted it could be possible to incorporate the new funds into the fire department’s budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal budget, which would begin July 1.

Ward 4 Councilman Rick Stead noted that would result in the department having to wait longer before being able to move forward with the plan.

“You wouldn’t see anyone there until July 1,” Stead said.

Lt. Mike Serafine, president if the Weirton IAFF Local 948, said the main thing for the firefighters is knowing they are going to be able to provide better service for the community and improve safety for themselves.

“We all know about the growth in our city and how businesses are coming into the city and residents are coming into the city,” Serafine said. “Our concern is the city is growing but our department is not.”

Serafine said firefighters are appreciative of the investments in equipment and facilities in recent years, but with growth and taking on more responsibilities – such as building plan reviews, fire investigation, and fire prevention activities – additional personnel are needed.

Stead questioned whether the department would ever consider instituting its own ambulance service — similar to the service offered in Steubenville — but was told that, too, would need more personnel.

Ward 7 Councilman Chris Jonczak raised the possibility of re-establishing a volunteer department within the city, although none of the other councilmembers felt it was a path to look into.

Mayor Dean Harris, who was mayor when the city’s previous volunteer departments were dissolved, said there were liability concerns under the old system and didn’t believe it would be worth revisiting.

“I fought that fight. I don’t want to fight it again,” Harris said. “The system just didn’t work.”

Himmelrick also reminded council the Weirton Fire Department is, in fact, set up as a combination paid and volunteer department, but there is virtually no activity in the volunteer division.

Harris recommended Himmelrick and Serafine plan to sit down with Smoljanovich and City Manager Mike Adams in January to get a better idea of full costs, what money could be available, and what would be needed before any decision is finalized.