Fire Engine Four is shown along with new gear.
GARDEN CITY – Garden City Town Council met on Monday, Feb. 15 at the Garden City Town Hall. Two topics of note were an $8,000 grant from the Cullman County Community Development Commission (CCCDC) and the passing of Ordinance 2016-211.
An $8,000 grant was awarded to the Garden City Volunteer Fire Department by the CCCDC to replace old gear. New turnout gear, the specialized protective equipment worn by firefighters, has already arrived. Additionally, each member of the department received new helmets. New radios are on order, and the department plans to replace hoses and nozzles, some in use since the 1990s, with their next grant.
Garden City Volunteer Fire Chief Steve Ohls plans to replace all of the air packs used during fires, upgrading to 45-minute packs, from 30-minute packs, with his next grant as well.
“By the time you put your air pack on, get it turned on, drape your nozzle and get up to the door, you’ve already wasted five minutes. Then, you get in, find the fire, do the search and rescue, get your victim out and get back inside and your five-minute warning buzzer on the air pack is going off. Then, you’ve got to come back out and swap out bottles. Time is of the essence fighting fires and that extra fifteen minutes makes a big difference.”
Ohls displayed the new equipment and shared his vision for the future of the department with pride.
“I’m giving back to the community what the community gives to me.”
Ohls began volunteering with the department in 1991 and was made chief in June of last year. Since then, he has been busy running drills with his volunteers, updating policies, submitting grants and working out plans to begin a junior firefighter program in Garden City. He shares, “I want to get the younger kids involved in the program so that they have something to look forward to when they turn eighteen and can volunteer with us.”
Councilwoman Teresa Goodwin voiced the community’s appreciation for the department, stating, “Steve has special skills to offer. All of our volunteer firefighters do.”
Ordinance 2016-211, a Health and Sanitation Nuisance Ordinance, passed unanimously after a year of deliberation. Special detail was given defining a nuisance in wording of the ordinance in hopes of preventing any future misinterpretation. Prior to the vote, an amendment was added to the draft which will require a signed complaint by the citizen reporting an ordinance violation.
Members of the Garden City Town Council are:
- Pam Leslie, Town Clerk
- Scott Arnold
- Patsy Chaffin
- Gene Norman
- Teresa Goodwin
- Butch Bradford
- Mayor Tim Eskew
