Fundraisers help volunteer fire departments stay afloat
[gtxvideo vid=”Hncwb7Nh” playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/Hncwb7Nh.jpg” vtitle=”funding volunteer fire depts”]
WEST TENNESSEE — From Gibson County to Carroll County, communities came out Saturday to help support their first responders. And without their help, these departments say they simply wouldn’t be able to respond to calls. “They support us 100 percent,” Cedar Grove Fire Chief Mike Browning said. “We couldn’t ask for anything better.” Volunteer firefighters are ready to battle the flames at any time, even during their own fundraiser. “All of this is volunteer,” Browning said. “We spend our money and our time to save the community.” According to National Volunteer Fire Council, more than 70 percent of fire departments in the state of Tennessee are volunteer. And when they’re in need, the community returns the favor. “If the community didn’t come together and help us, we wouldn’t even been there,” Browning said. From a fish fry in Cedar Grove to helicopters and BBQ in Fruitland, these departments do whatever they can to keep on trucking. “We raised money so we can buy the things that we need for the station that the county doesn’t furnish,” Fruitland Fire Chief Charles Estes said. But even after receiving, they’re always looking for ways to give back. “We also help put back into the county when someone has a problem,” Estes said. “We try and help our neighbors with the station.” Both departments say they raised more than $2,500 Saturday. In Fruitland, the money will help with station expansion, while in Cedar Grove it will help pay utility bills.
