Fire chiefs discuss scrap metal fundraiser
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Hopkins County volunteer fire departments talked about tires and spring cleanup, among other items of business discussed at their bi-monthly meeting.
The meeting opened at 6 p.m. at the county emergency operations headquarters, with an invocation by Pickton Pine-Forest’s Trey Thompson. Chris Young of Delta fire supply also joined the meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
Young informed the group that the supply chain to get supplies was weak, and they should be mindful when ordering.
Fire marshal Andy Endsley updated the chiefs on the vehicle tire replacement program. Endsley instructed stations to notify him when they replaced their tires so he would know to apply for the government discount, which will reimburse $2000 towards tire replacement costs.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Tanner Crump updated the fire chiefs that he had recently replaced six tires at a cost of $3600, and with the reimbursement program “had saved a lot of money.”
Saltillo station’s Dutch Vallaster pointed out that asking for tire vendors for a government rate, “is not always cheaper.” Saltillo’s station Constable John Brian Beadle asked if it was okay to order tires online, and Endsley said it was.
The chiefs then talked about their ongoing scrap collection drive, which Endsley stated he believed would garner more donations as spring cleanup is upcoming. All profits from scrap metal collected by the fire departments will benefit purchasing new tires for fire vehicles and will be split evenly among the fire departments.
Endlsey and the chiefs discussed that they were willing to give media interviews to popularize the scrap drive.
Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom pointed out that not all contracts for VFDs for 2022 had been turned in, and reminded stations to give them to Endsley by next Monday.
Endsley updated the group that the AFG communications grant the county had been preparing in conjunction with the City of Sulphur Springs and Franklin and Delta County had been turned in and they were awaiting a decision in April or May.
“We should do really well,” Endsley noted.
Endsley asked if anyone from Brinker VFD was present to give an update on their crawfish boil, but no one was.
“We want to come to your fundraiser, we just have to know when it is,” Newsom stated.
Thompson updated that through their recent portrait photo fundraiser, the Pickton-Pine Forest station had raised over $5000.
“People are wanting to give,” he noted. “But you’ve got to let your public know.”
Dike’s A.G. Sandifeer noted the new solar installation in the area had not donated any money. Thompson agreed.
“They say they’re itching to help us but they ain’t helped us yet,” he commented.
Speaking of solar farms, Endsley told the group that the Saltillo solar farm would like to do a training session with local VFDs to gauge response times of emergency personnel.
“I told them we’re not running lights and sirens out there, so you won’t know a true time frame,” Endsley said. “However they just want a mini-situation, like a medical call for one of their workers.”
The group resolved to talk with the solar farm to plan when they would run the training session.
Sandifeer noted that last week he had not received a dispatch because “they forgot to mash my button, and all I heard was gibberish.” Endsley and Sandifeer resolved to speak about it on March 14.
Several members brought up that the communication tower near Purley is out of date, and Endsley said he and members of the county and Sheriff’s Department had been working on it and that he was “about to tear his hair out” waiting on a cost estimate.
The meeting concluded at 7 p.m.
By Taylor Nye. Abbi Beggs contributed to this report.
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