McCord’s Fire Chief Rich Lindsey Announces New Fire Station in Eastern Cherokee County in New Press Release

For Immediate Release /February 24, 2018

A New Fire Station is Coming to Eastern Cherokee County

There are many places in the Alexis, Kirks Grove, and Osceola communities of East Central Cherokee County that are five or even ten miles from the nearest fire station. That is about to change! The members of McCord’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department have announced that they will be opening a sub-station on County Road 22, just west of the former Lindsey Store location. The project, which has been in the making for over three years, is aimed at decreasing response times to these areas allowing the department to provide better fire and rescue services to these communities.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Insurance Services Office (ISO), many parts of these three communities have been considered “unprotected” due to their distance from a fire station and current response times even though McCord’s and other local fire departments have been responding to the areas. Chief Rich Lindsey stated that he estimates the station will provide fire protection to approximately 750 “unprotected” residents and will provide decreased response times to more than 1000 residents.

The new station will be in the former R.F. Lindsey and Sons Fertilizer Plant building, located at 13925 County Road 22 Centre, Alabama, which was donated to the department by Richard Lindsey and Brent Tidwell. McCord’s Fire Department has received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s office of Rural Development in the amount of $33,300.00 to go toward the renovation. The total project is expected to cost $90,000.00. The department has already received a $10,000.00 donation to help fund the project and is urging the community to get involved and raise the additional funds so the renovation can begin.

Chief Lindsey said, “Volunteer Fire Departments have always been community projects and this station will be no different. The project might never have come to fruition without the donation of the building and land. We have already received a sizeable donation and many more community members have vowed to help. It will take the entire community working together to finish the project.” Chief Lindsey also added that the department is seeking volunteer firefighters who live in the area near the new station.

“Response times are critical in the fire and rescue world,” said Chief Lindsey. “In the incipient stage of fire growth, a compartment fire will double in size every 1-2 minutes. Therefore, having a fire engine five miles closer to your residence could mean the difference in a small kitchen fire and a large, multi-room house fire. Also, because our department provides Basic Life Support (BLS) and Operational Rescue services, the benefits of the addition of this facility to the community are not limited to fire suppression but also improve the chances of survival and recovery for patients suffering life-threatening injuries and illnesses.” He also added that many residents could see significantly lower rates for their homeowner’s insurance once the station is up and running and formally recognized by ISO.

 A community meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, March 10th, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the Kirks Grove Clubhouse to explain the benefits of and raise money for the project. All community members are urged to attend this meeting! The clubhouse is located at 16820 County Road 22 Centre, Alabama. The Kirks Grove Homemakers Club will be serving lunch following the meeting. Anyone wanting to help with or needing more information about this project can contact Chief Rich Lindsey by phone at 256-484-1229 or by email at richlindsey@cherokeegin.com.

 

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