Banks District Volunteer Fire Department announced the passing of their Fire Chief Gary Bonnett, who passed away early Thursday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Chief Bonnett was a fire chief who was highly respected by his peers and everyone in and connected to the fire service throughout West Virginia. He was the consummate fire chief.
Bonnett was recently installed as the president of the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs. He also held the position of President of the West Virginia State Fire Chief’s Association and was a governor’s appointment to the West Virginia State Fire Commission.
Bonnett was diagnosed with cancer several years back and underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
Despite battling cancer, Bonnett remained active within the fire department and even the organizations he headed, all while retaining the fire chief’s position until his death. Even though he was not physically in the office as often as he wanted to be, he had daily contact with command officers of the department by telephone to ensure the department was running smoothly and efficiently.
Due to Bonnett’s passing, First Assistant Chief Mark Loudin will, pursuant to department policy, assume the fire chief’s position until a special department meeting can be called