Lando VFD anniversary

The Lando Volunteer Fire Department turned 50 this year. Sadly, that milestone might mark the decline of the department if more young volunteers can't be found to fight fires.

In a sense, the history of the Lando VFD has mirrored that of the textile industry in South Carolina. When the department was founded in 1958, the town was prospering because of Manetta Mills, a family-owned business that sold goods to national retailers.

The mill provided jobs and, in turn, young men to work at the fire department. If an alarm sounded, they could drop what they were doing at the mill and go fight fires.

In 1958, firefighters built their block station with help from the mill and the town. It was the first rural agency in the county to get a fire truck paid for by the county.

In the mid-1980s, the department borrowed money to pay for a $50,000 fire truck. Firefighters worked odd jobs in their spare time to help pay off the loan.

The department got a break in 1991 when taxpayers agreed to foot the bill for equipment. Then, in 2006, a new 10,065-square-foot facility opened, the third fire station in Lando, which included eight truck bays, a workout room, sleeping quarters, a kitchen, lounge and office and meeting space.

But Manetta Mills' finishing operations were moved to Monroe, N.C., in 1991. And now, firefighters are worried that a new generation of volunteers might not be able to step up and carry on this 50-year tradition. The average age of the department's 22 firefighters is around 47, and the pool of available volunteers has dwindled.

As with many smaller communities that relied on the mills to provide work, Lando no longer has the employment base to keep younger workers in town. Many are leaving the area for college and jobs in other cities.

That means fewer available local employees who can leave their jobs whenever they are summoned to a fire and be there in minutes. Soon, the department might have to turn to professional firefighters.

So, in a way, this is a bittersweet anniversary for the Lando VFD. With its half-century of tradition and volunteers now in their 80s still listed on the rolls, the department now looks to an uncertain future.

But whatever that future may be, the residents of Lando and York County still owe a debt to those who gave their time to fight fires and face the dangers, earning nothing but the gratitude of friends and family in the process. We're sure they will say that was enough.

This story was originally published November 18, 2008 at 12:31 AM with the headline "Lando VFD anniversary."