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WAYNE, W.Va. (WSAZ) - The Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department is closed yet again, the third closure since spring, and department leaders told Wayne County commissioners this week that the department is on a path toward dissolving.

The repeat closures have forced its community to rely on neighboring departments for fire and ambulance service, a concern for residents like Dale Perry. He lives more than 2 miles from the struggling department.

“The problem is worrying about the elderly people, worrying about ATV accidents, you know, general medical care in general,” he said.

WSAZ NewsChannel 3 has been reporting about the department’s troubles for months.

A state audit found the department’s prior administration misspent more than $100,000 between 2017 and 2018. State funding then shut off to repay the debt.

This spring the department closed its temporarily due to non-payment of insurance.

Weeks later, a paperwork issue forced it to close again.

Now, a third closure last week. The reason is a failure to test necessary equipment.

Perry and other residents Monday asked the Wayne County Commission for help.

Commission President Jeff Maddox painting a dire picture.

“The debt hole is immense,” he said during Monday’s meeting.

Maddox says Dunlow has not answered an ambulance call since March 27 and has responded to just a fraction of fire calls this year. He joined fellow Commissioner Robert Thompson, saying the best solution is to start all over.

“They either need to come together and try to fix the problem that they’ve got where they need to hand it off to somebody else,” he said.

Minutes after, Thompson told WSAZ those words departments leaders told the commission they will do just that.

“We have decided that we are going to dissolve Dunlow EMS,” said Cody Robinson, EMS director for the Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department.

Dunlow Volunteer Fire Chief James Likens hopes to dissolve the fire department on paper and merge with a nearby department. The facility, equipment and members would serve Dunlow under a new name.

“You get that pump test taken care of, are you totally fine, and you’re good to go?” asked WSAZ NewsChannel 3 reporter Curtis Johnson. “Or is there something else that going to happen?”

“I can’t answer that question,” Likens replied. “I would first say yes, but I can’t answer what the unknown.”

“You’re the chief of the fire department with a job to provide fire service to residents in that area, and right now, the fire department’s not providing that service?” Johnson asked. “What’s your message to those who rely on you?”

“I’m sorry,” he replied. “My hands are tied. I couldn’t help it.”

While the Dunlow could become a substation for another fire department, it is not likely that ambulance service will be included.

Robinson declined comment after Monday’s meeting, but provided this written statement Tuesday.

“With EMS billing being the sole source of funding for operations, it is no longer feasible for Dunlow EMS to continue to provide EMS care to the citizens of the Dunlow area,” he said. “The lack of funding has created a burden that ultimately affects our ability to provide the same quality of care the citizens deserve. Dunlow EMS has always strived to provide the best possible care so with the interest of the community in mind, we have made the decision to cease operations.”

Commissioners plan to station a private ambulance service at a house along state Route 152 near Genoa as a short-term solution.

Commissioner Thompson urges residents to get involved.

“They need to go in and demand, you know, the services,”. The community started 40 years ago, and there’s a lot of people up there that that care about it, absolutely, and you know it, it’s going to take a community effort to solve it.”

Commissioners have no control over the department, but agreed to help with the transition.

Many details still have to be hammered out on the path forward, but emergency officials say this week’s announcement means 911 dispatchers will no longer call upon Dunlow for help. That means they can immediately go to neighboring departments, possibly leading to quicker response times.

For previous coverage >>> Volunteer fire department out of service