Archives
2008
Monday March 10
265 Cotton Road Fire
2008
January/February/March
Chief's Message
2008
Thursday July 10
195 John Tedder Road
195 John Tedder Road, Guntersville, AL
The call came in at 2:38AM, Thursday 10 July 2008. Georgia Mountain VFD arrived on scene to find smoke coming from the roof eaves. Minutes later the roof gable exploded from the heat and pressure caused by the fire. Once the fire had oxygen, it spread quickly throughout the house. Georgia Mountain was assisted by the Union Grove, 4C's and Guntersville fire departments. One of the biggest factors in losing the house was the lack of water - the nearest fire hydrant was more than 2 miles from the house.
365 Cotton Road, Guntersville, AL.
The fire was reported at 3:30AM, Monday,10 March 2008. Georgia Mountain Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), first on scene, was assisted by Guntersville Fire Department and Union Grove VFD in extinguishing the fire and keeping from spreading to surrounding brush and trees. The house was totally involved when the first units arrived; the primary concerns were occupants and fire growth to nearby areas. The house was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Two follow-up calls were made later Monday for persistent hot spots.
365 Cotton Road is the fifth structure fire call for Georgia Mountain VFD in 2008. The public is reminded that we are still in a severe drought even though we have had rain - it's not been enough to make up for past shortages.
January/February/March 2008
2008 started with a total of 72 calls in January and February: 58 medical, 3 brush fires, 1 vehicle fire, 4 structure fires, 1 motor vehicle accident, 2 automatic alarms, and 2 road clearings. Recent rains have helped to ease the drought conditions, but we're not out of it yet. Please remember that our rainfall is 61+ inches short over the past 26 months. The vegetation dries out quickly after the rain stops, especially if it's windy.
The department continues to need your support; both with finances and volunteers. Volunteers aren't just firefighters - we always need administrative, maintenance, and fundraising help. Operational finances are a never ending issue. County and state funding is limited to a declining tobacco sales tax and an annual grant from the State Forestry Commission - total for 2007 was $11,452. Last year we needed just over $42,000 to maintain the facilities, equipment and vehicles; buy insurance; purchase diesel fuel; and, pay utilities. 2007 had a 127 calls, 42% more than 2006, and 2008 is already at 72. The more calls we make, the more our fuel and maintenance costs increase. Our volunteers work for free but the vehicles, facilities, and equipment require financial support - please help us make the community a safer place.
We'll have a number of fundraising events this year to meet our funding needs. Our first event is the annual golf tournament and barbeque lunch on 17 May - come out to Stoney Mountain Golf Course on Georgia Mountain Road and join us. Another way to help the department financially is to sign up for a monthly donation through your Arab Water Works bill. We currently have 196 homeowners contributing an average of $4.50 a month; the steady income really helps with budgeting and planning - call me at 582 4154 for more information.
Department elections were held on 11 March with the results being: Fire Chief, Jason Edmonds; Assistant Chief, Brian Bradford; and new Board of Directors, Don Hearn, Dave Norton, and Chris Johnson. Glen Wakefield (Chairman) and Jason Edmonds were elected last year, and will remain on the Board for another year.
The department conducts its monthly business meeting at Station 1, 2485 Georgia Mountain Road, the second Tuesday of each month starting at 7:00PM - the community is always invited. Our next meeting will be April 8th.
Our goal is to provide the fire protection and emergency services needed for a safe community, please help us help you.
Chief Jason Edmonds