Area firefighters lend a hand to community that lost fire station
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CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — Two days after a Carroll County fire department burned to the ground, other stations in the area are stepping up to protect residents in emergencies. “It’s not good for a community not to have a fire truck,” Vale resident Yvonne Mitchell said. Vale, Tenn., is left without a fire station after a Monday fire destroyed their building, trucks and equipment. But just as one community has hit a setback, another down the road is stepping up to the plate to help out. “It’s a straight shot to Vale,” Hollow Rock Fire Chief Larry Jarnagin said. “We’ve got a station on this side of the tracks, we’ve got one on that side of the tracks, so we’ll be there.” The department is also moving one of their fire trucks up to the Mixie community, where it is going to help serve the people of Vale. “We’re going to train them how to operate the truck, and that’s going to help fill the gap,” Jarnagin said. Yvonne Mitchell and her family lost their home to a fire back in the 1980s, and she says she would be heartbroken if it happened again. “We had the fire trucks and everything back then,” Mitchell said. “But it is kind of scary not having one now.” But Jarnagin said two new trucks are on the way, all the way from Wisconsin. “We’re making final preparations to go pick those up,” Jarnagin said. “Once we get them down here, they’ll also be serving the Vale community.” Overall, Jarnagin wants the community to know his department, along with others around the county, will be ready to respond. “The community is still going to have the guys that are coming to assist them,” Jarnagin said. “They’re still going to have several pieces of equipment, and highly trained firefighters will get it done.” Jarnagin said his department also has doubled their number of volunteers. The cause of the fire in Vale is still under investigation, and it is being considered suspicious.
