Kelly Tillis, Tyler Mountain, West Virginia: Beloved Local First Responder Dies After Spending Over Four Decades Answering Emergency Calls

The folks around Tyler Mountain lost one of their most reliable hands this week. Kelly Tillis, a lifetime firefighter and emergency medical responder who spent most of his adult life answering calls across Kanawha County, has died.

Tillis joined the Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department back in the 1980s. At the time, he was just a local guy wanting to help out when trouble hit. Over the years, he turned into a fixture around the station house, taking on almost every job the department had to offer.

Long before he was a veteran member, Tillis was out on the roads in the middle of the night. He worked emergency medical calls with the Cross Lanes Volunteer Ambulance Service, putting in long hours when people needed quick care. Neighbors got used to seeing his face when things went wrong, whether it was a medical crisis or a wreck on the highway.

Firefighting in a volunteer house is tough work, and it does not pay a dime. Tillis ran into burning structures, hauled gear through thick smoke, and stayed on scene until the last hot spot was out. When he was not pulling hose, he was riding shotgun in the rig as an EMS first responder to stabilize patients before transport arrived.

As the years caught up with him, Tillis did not step back from helping out. He shifted his focus to keeping the department’s doors open and equipment running. He took a leading role with the Red Light Express, the department’s main fundraising group, spending hours organizing events and collecting support from local businesses.

Members of the fire department say Tillis was key to building the station into what it is today. He helped lay the groundwork for modern emergency response in the community, mentoring younger volunteers as they joined the ranks and showing them how to handle high-stress calls.

The department announced his passing with heavy hearts, noting that Tillis leaves behind a legacy built on decades of quiet sacrifice. For the people living around Cross Lanes and Tyler Mountain, his work over the last forty years helped keep their homes and families safe.