Christopher Neace

Assistant Fire Chief of the Buffalo Creek Fire Department in Logan County, Christopher Neace, is a West Virginia native who left the state and returned. “West Virginia is home, it is where my family is,” says Neace. He moved to Indiana with his mother at age eight, and it was there that he became interested in being a firefighter. At the age of 15, Neace began his 15-year service as a firefighter while in Indiana in the cadet program.

In addition to volunteering with the Buffalo Creek Fire Department, Neace also serves on Rescue 150, which is a technical rescue crew, and the Logan Emergency Ambulance Service Authority (LEASA).

He states that firefighting is something he has always enjoyed; he took an interest and stayed with it. “It’s one of those things you start doing, it either draws you or it doesn’t,” Neace states. The main draw of it is helping people.

In fact, when asked about his best memory as a volunteer, Neace states that he can’t really define a “best” memory, but that “the best thing about it is helping someone and knowing they’re okay afterwards and if you’re able, to follow up and follow through with their progress.” Being a volunteer firefighter has also allowed him to learn new skills, like different types of rescue including water and rope. While he definitely takes his service to the community seriously, Neace recalls a recent prank played on the fire chief, a man who has a strong dislike of frogs and found a toy one placed in his desk.  

After 15 years of service, Neace continues to be driven by the satisfaction of helping people. He adds, “It’s the big drive. It’s one of those things – somebody’s got to do it and if we’re not here doing it, no one else is going to. It’s something that has to be done.” This explains why he makes the time to serve his community and those in need, despite working the night shift in the mines.  

As someone who has been using computers nearly as long as he’s been a firefighter, Neace was also a good fit to be one of the mentors at the public computer center at Buffalo Creek.

Neace speaks about the computer center with great excitement, believing that it will have a positive impact on the community. Neace says, “It lets the community build a good working relationship with the fire department. It gives people the opportunity to learn more about computers and further their education, especially in this rural area.”