WVVA Hometown Hero: Fire Chief gives ‘with a happy heart’

HINTON, W.Va. (WVVA) - Hinton’s Fire Chief does more for his community than lead the men and women who are on the front line of fire protection. Ray Pivont also stands with friends, family, and neighbors during some of their darkest days as they bid farewell to their loved ones.

Chief Pivont has been a funeral director as long he has been fire chief in the Summers County seat; nearly fifty years.

Pivont was nominated for the hometown hero recognition by his daughter-in-law, Dena Pivont, who wrote a pair of nomination emails, “...In my eyes, Ray is one of those heroes that’s not like a Superman figure or somebody or some major event, he is one that builds the foundation for other heroes to stand on. He is just the perfect example to me of what a Hometown hero should be.”

City leaders in Hinton agree, saying Chief Pivont is involved in numerous projects and community works.

Two members of the city council, including President Pat Jordan and member Bobbi Sorge say much of his involvement flies under the radar because Chief Pivont never seeks accolades. They say his contributions include time, money, and resources.

Everyone who spoke with us about the 76-year-old fire chief says he does all of these things with a smile.

We asked him about this attitude towards helping others and helping his community, and with a smile, he said, “...If you have a happy heart, when you do things, everything seems to work out just better than, without the happy heart let’s put it that way. You know, I mean, what’s wrong with a smile? What’s wrong with a good handshake? A hug or whatever.”

It’s that attitude and his actions to fortify the sentiment into practice that makes Ray Pivont a WVVA Hometown Hero.

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