Fire department certified

RANCHVALE — The Ranchvale Volunteer Fire Department will soon be responding to fires as it received its official certification as a fully operational fire department from the state fire marshal's office on Wednesday.

"I'm ecstatic, it's been a long hard process," Fire and Safety Director David Kube said.

The Curry County Commission approved the creation of a new fire district in May 2018, and since then Kube said the department's chief Kenneth Davis and its 26 members have worked towards securing equipment and training.

With certification, Kube said the department is now eligible to receive money from the state fire fund, with a base amount of $34,944 a year.

Kube said currently Ranchvale's fire trucks are being housed in private barns, with the planning phase of the construction of a fire station underway. The county received $400,000 in capital outlay for the project, which Kube said he is hoping to begin construction on this fall.

He said issues with communication equipment have prevented Ranchvale fire fighters to respond to blazes yet, though he said there has been no need in the area for several months. Kube said he hopes the fire fighters will be responding to calls by June.