ROBERT CARPENTER

Robert D. Carpenter, of Huntington, West Virginia, has a professional job as a Funeral Director for Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary, but he spends most of his time doing community service, not only locally, but nationally and internationally.

He has worked many years to secure funding for fire stations and training for the Area Fire Service both Volunteer and Professional. His efforts were responsible for securing five new Fire Stations and five new trucks over the past 50 years helped to deliver high quality emergency services to the Citizens of the Tri State Area.

As President for the past 40 years of the Tri State Fire Academy, three years ago the property was lost to a new development for Marshall University. There was $1,200 in the bank and no Fire School. It is a non-profit 501c3 school owned by those who use it. During the past 3 years a new Academy has been developed with funds and goods and property donated from the Industry, Citizens and County and State Commissions. Now there is Safety Training Academy which is first class and recognized around the country for its Computers Labs. Also, the Community College of Marshall has over 23 different classes there on Marine Fire Fighting, Pilot & Radar Training, Deck Hand Programs for new well paying jobs for a cost of $400 for a 10 day course the student has a job of $30,000 waiting following certification. Its new name is the Robert D. Carpenter Training Center, Tri State Fire Academy. There is no paid staff operating the Academy just a Board of 5 people.

Also during his year as President of the Tri State Boy Scouts a new office building and major rebuilding of the Scout Camp took place.

In the 1980’s he served as the Disaster Chairman for the National Funeral Directors Association which developed into the D-Mort National Program. Robert received its highest award from that association for his volunteer service. In Rotary International after service as District Governor he served as National Polio Chairman and received the two highest Awards from Rotary International (there are only 50 awards presented annually in the entire Rotary World).