RAINELLE, WV (WVNS) — Rainelle Fire Chief Doug Estep passed away earlier this week after a battle with cancer.

Estep served in various positions at the Rainelle Fire Department for 51 years, leaving behind a long legacy of service in the community.

Acting chief Matt Osborne said there are many aspects of Estep’s leadership which he hopes to carry on.

“I would hope to keep his compassion for his men, for the service,” said Osborne. “I hope to just, like you said, he left us a huge set of shoes to fill and I just want to keep the legacy alive that he has.”

Osborne said Estep always paid great attention to detail, something he hopes to emulate.

“He was tremendous in the day-to-day operations and making sure everything was done correctly,” said Osborne. “He just did a phenomenal job of managing the department and boosting morale, just taking care of his men.

A funeral procession consisted of fire trucks from throughout Greenbrier County, from Lewisburg to White Sulphur Springs, Smoot and more.

As the procession drew close to Wallace Memorial Cemetery, it drove beneath an American flag hung from two ladder trucks.

Bells have a great level of importance for firefighters as they signaled the beginning and ending of the day and the sound of a bell rang out, signaling the end of Chief Estep’s watch.