Tag Archive for: #hendersonfiredepartment

TownTalk: Chief Cordell Gives Praise To Henderson’s Firefighters

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Firefighters with the Henderson Fire Department stand ready to respond to calls across the city, and earlier this month, they gathered to honor several among their ranks at the 45th annual awards banquet.

Fire Chief Steve Cordell said being a firefighter requires service and dedication and the individuals with the city’s fire department are true public servants. The 45th annual banquet was Jan. 12 at Clearview Church.

Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds received the Firefighter of the Year award and Cordell told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk that Edmonds truly deserves the recognition.

The nominating committee put forth Edmonds’ name because of his behind-the-scenes efforts in navigating the department through new reporting systems with training and troubleshooting.

“Lee was the backbone of all that,” Cordell said. He trained the firefighters and also was the first person to tackle computer-related issues on the trucks or around the station.

“When staffing levels were short, Lee would jump on the truck,” Cordell said. Edmonds would fill in for firefighters who needed to take a day off, which allowed the department to stay fully staffed and ready to answer fire calls.

Edmonds worked his way through the ranks of the fire department, from fireman to engineer to captain over fire prevention and education.

“Lee takes so much pride and (is) dedicated in that job,” Cordell said. Fire prevention is a 365-day event, he added, and Edmonds is in the community every day spreading that message, with eagerness, dedication and enthusiasm.

Firefighter Matthew Pearce was presented the Valor Award, which Cordell explained is given to a firefighter who puts their life on the line to save others. Pearce was at the Dabney Drive Food Lion buying groceries when a man asked if his grandson could see the fire truck. The firefighters took their time and gave the young fellow a tour, Cordell said. But afterward, the little guy, in his enthusiasm, dashed into the path of an oncoming car in the parking lot. “Pearce jumped out, grabbed that kid and spun his back” to the oncoming vehicle. “If anyone was going to take a direct impact, it would be him,” he added.

For unselfishly putting himself in harm’s way, Pearce was awarded the fire department’s highest honor.

Capt. William Boyd was presented the Chief’s Award, which is given to a firefighter who performs his work but who also contributes to the community away from the fire station. Boyd is a deacon in his church, a family man and he also volunteers as a coach for the local high school football team.

“Not only does he give to his church, his family and community, he served our country,” Cordell said of Boyd.

Cordell said it’s been fun to watch Boyd grow as a firefighter. First as an engine captain and now a company officer, he “takes his wealth of knowledge and takes his company of men and tries to make his firefighters better than when they came into the station” every day, he added.

Cordell also acknowledged that his department honored him with an award of appreciation, an act that rendered him speechless at the banquet and an act that, days later, he said he still is processing.

“It’s a moment that I never would have expected, but it meant the world to me,” Cordell said.

“My job is to fight for those (firefighters) to make sure they have tools and equip to be safe and to do their jobs – they’re my family. Cordell’s assessment? The city of Henderson has a great fire department,” full of individuals that work together to save and protect and serve.

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TownTalk: Firefighters And The Dangers They Face

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Two people – one of them a firefighter – were taken to hospital last night after a house fire broke out on Hargrove Street.

City Fire Chief Steve Cordell told WIZS News Monday that Capt. J. Bolton is back at home, and recovering from second- and third-degree burns on both shoulders and arms. “He was attempting to do a search” of the structure to locate possible victims,” Cordell said.

The fire started about 8 p.m. in the kitchen area of a residence at 1224 Hargrove St., he said.

One person was taken to the hospital, but no information is available about the person’s condition.

“She was alive when we got her to the ambulance,” Cordell said in a phone interview with John C. Rose Monday. It is not known to which hospital the victim was taken; Bolton was taken by ambulance to the UNC Burn Center.

Firefighters face risks each time that alarm sounds and they don their protective gear and head to the scene of a fire or a vehicle accident or other emergency call.

Some risks are immediate and obvious – being burned or injured when entering a burning building, for example. But firefighters face the possibility future health challenges as a result of the work they do.

And the recently passed state budget has an item in it that addresses some of those future health challenges – like cancer diagnoses.

Through the N.C. Department of Insurance, $15 million shall be used to establish and administer a pilot program to provide health benefits to eligible firefighters with a new diagnosis of cancer on or after Jan. 1, 2022. This is a supplemental program, and firefighters could receive $25,000 after getting a new cancer diagnosis, up to $50,000. The program also allows for reimbursement of up to $12,000 in medical costs associated with the diagnosis and provides eligible firefighters additional disability assistance.

 

 

TownTalk: Henderson Fire Dept. Puts The Boot In For Maria Parham’s Angel Fund

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It is generally not recommended for pedestrians to walk out in the middle of traffic for any reason – especially Dabney Drive. But when firefighters do it, with their boots in their hands instead of on their feet, rest assured it’s for a good cause.

And on Tuesday, Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell presented the result of the 2021 fundraiser to the staff at Maria Parham Health’s Cancer Center – a check for $25,000. WIZS’s Trey Snide was on hand Tuesday for the check presentation and John C. Rose shared highlights on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

“It’s a great honor for us to be here with you today to present you with another donation from the wonderful residents of the city of Henderson and Vance County and the visitors that come down Dabney Drive,” Cordell said during the presentation ceremony.

He recounted that the first fundraiser to support the cancer center’s “angel fund” was back in 2014. Through t-shirt sales to fight breast cancer, the fire department was able to raise about $3,400 for the oncology department.

Since then, the annual fundraiser – except for last year when it was cancelled because of the pandemic – has netted more than $77,000.

This year’s total of $25,000 almost doubles the combined efforts of previous fundraisers, and Cordell credits the generosity of the community and the willingness of all three shifts of firefighters with this year’s success.

“This year’s total – I was blown away,” he told the group assembled at the hospital for the presentation. The original goal for Day 1 of the project was $4,700, but they’d gotten that by lunchtime, Cordell recalled. By the end of Day 1, folks had put $11,000 in those boots.

Cordell said he remembered thinking, “Man, that’s good. The rest of the days will be pretty slow, but the people just kept on giving.”

“If it wasn’t for these men and women that go out there, very unselfishly, and stand out there in the middle of Dabney Drive and hold a boot,” Cordell said, the donation to the cancer center simply wouldn’t have been possible.

Kimberly Smith is director of the hospital’s cancer center and she said the angel fund helps cancer patients with basic needs, from transportation to medicines to help with their treatment.

“We thank you very much,” Smith said.  “We appreciate you…this money will go to great use for our patients and our community here.”

She likened the work of firefighters to the work that the staff at the cancer center, saying that every day, each group of workers does an amazing job and, every day, they find ways to help people in the communities they serve.

Hope Breedlove is a social worker at the cancer center and offered her thanks as well.

“I’m so thankful.  I’m so proud right now of you, of the community.” Through the angel fund, patients can receive funds that remove barriers, Breedlove noted, and if it weren’t for the angel fund, “we couldn’t do some of the things that we’re able to do” for the patients.

“This angel fund is truly a godsend,” Breedlove said. “From the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of our hearts, and from the bottom of our patients’ hearts, we just thank you so much.”

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Henderson Fire Dept

TownTalk: Fire Prevention Week

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If you’ve ever been awakened in the middle of the night by that annoying little chirp of the smoke detector signaling the need for a new battery, consider this: that annoying little chirp could be a life-saving sound that could avert tragedy in a real emergency.

October 3-9 is Fire Safety Week, and Henderson Fire Captain Lee Edmonds wants everyone to learn the different sounds of fire safety. For example, a smoke alarm signal is three loud beeps; a carbon monoxide alarm is four continuous rapid beeps.

“Learning the sounds of fire safety is very important,” he said.

In a conversation with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk, Edmonds suggested that every household have two escape plans, and from different locations in the home. “Every second counts,” he said.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are valuable tools to help homeowners – as long as they are in good working order. A good rule of thumb is to change the batteries when the time changes twice a year.

A new type of smoke alarm has a 10-year life span and there’s no battery to replace, he said. So when it begins to chirp, it’s time to toss and replace.

Residents in the community have the chance to learn more about smoke alarms and more during an event from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7. There will be fire trucks and a “smoke trailer” on hand for children and others to view at the former Golden Corral parking lot on North Cooper Drive.

Smoke alarms should be located inside and outside of sleeping and living spaces, Edmonds said. But, he said, smoke alarms should not be located near kitchens or bathrooms, where steam from cooking or showering could cause them to be activated.

Another important tool to have on hand is a fire extinguisher, and Edmonds said the most common type is one that can handle the three main types of fires in households – regular combustible fires, fires caused by flammable liquids and electrical fires.

This “ABC” fire extinguisher will take care of most any type of fire that occurs in a residence, he noted.

By the end of September, there have been 100 fire-related deaths. “That’s a lot and we’re just nine months into the year,” he said. Last year’s total was 120, and Edmonds said the main way to keep that number down is to make sure there are working smoke detectors in the home.

Any Henderson resident who hears that annoying little chirp can call the fire station at 252.4301877 to get help. “Someone will come out and replace the battery or the smoke detector,” Edmonds said.

Visit the National Fire Protection Association website at nfpa.org to learn more about fire safety.

 

TownTalk: Henderson Fire Dept. Holds Its Own Despite Challenges

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Firefighters, just like everyone else, have been affected by COVID-19 and the restrictions that have been in place for the last year and a half. But unlike so many other workers, firefighters can’t work from home or respond to fire calls virtually.

Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell said his department has faced challenges during the pandemic but he praised his team of firefighters for their loyalty and dedication to their jobs.

“We’ve seen a lot of turnover here recently,” Cordell told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. Some staff have moved to jobs in related fields and others have decided to take a completely different line of work.

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After a dip in the number of calls at the onset of the pandemic, he said the department is again responding to an average of 250 calls each month – about 60 percent are medical-related and about 40 percent are fire and rescue calls.

Cordell said his firefighters get good information from the dispatchers, who know the right questions to ask to learn if anyone is COVID-positive that firefighters may come into contact with when they go out on a call.

“We treat everyone as if they are a positive case,” he said, and his firefighters will wear a mask when they are off duty and in public, just to make sure that everyone is staying safe.

As the fire department works to recruit and retain firefighters in the short-term, Cordell said he is hopeful that plans for construction of a third station in west Henderson also will come to fruition.

“We’re still on the table,” he said of the plans for the new station. He and others have been taking with developers and looking at different spots to purchase.

He also said plans to reorganize and reclassify some departments and positions within the department should be brought to City Council for consideration next month.

Battalion Chief Joel Bartholomew is leaving after 15 years of service to become director of emergency services in his native Warren County, a move Cordell called “bittersweet.” He called Bartholomew a loyal and dedicated employee, and added “watching him develop and grow has been a blessing and an honor.”

One step toward “normal” for the department involves Capt. Lee Edmonds, who works with fire prevention education. The pandemic put the brakes on firefighters getting into schools to talk with children about fire prevention. With the start of school just around the corner, Cordell said everyone’s looking forward to restart the “Read A Book With A Firefighter” program. Firefighters read with kindergartners, help them with homework and just enjoy time with young learners.

Cordell said he has a great team who is working hard every day “to keep our feet grounded and trucks staffed and moving to help the people of Henderson.”

HFD’s Annual Boot Drive Raises $13K+ for MPH Oncology Center

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Captain Lee Edmonds, with the Henderson Fire Department, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the fire department’s recent fundraiser for the Maria Parham Health Oncology Center.

On Tuesday afternoon, Edmonds and other HFD representatives presented the administration and staff of Maria Parham Health with a check for $13,620 to be used for care and resources for cancer patients.

On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, Henderson Fire Department representatives presented the administration and staff of Maria Parham Health with a check for $13,620 to be used for care and resources for cancer patients. (HFD photo)

In October, the fire department held its third annual Breast Cancer Boot Drive, complete with pink boots, in front of the fire station on Dabney Drive in Henderson. Money raised goes directly to MPH’s “Angel Fund,” a fund created to help patients overcome the financial hardships that serve as barriers to cancer treatment.

“The money helps patients with transportation costs, covers the cost of certain medications and allows MPH to offer free breast screenings every October,” said Edmonds.

Topping last year’s donation amount by $320 and the donation made in 2017 – the first year of the fundraiser – by over $2,000, Edmonds said the fire department is proud to have raised over $38,000 for local cancer patients in the past three years.

“We would like to thank all of the citizens, whether local or from out-of-town, who rode through and donated,” said Edmonds. “Your contribution is appreciated and makes a difference.”

Up next for the HFD is the annual in-home smoke detector inspection program that begins each November for City of Henderson residents.

To hear Edmonds’ interview in its entirety, please click here. Edmonds’ portion of the Town Talk segment begins at the 18:25 minute mark. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Henderson Fire Dept

9V Batteries Needed for Fire Dept.’s Annual Campaign

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy the City of Henderson

A battery drive for the City of Henderson Fire Department, hosted by the Leadership Vance Class of 2019, is ongoing through Friday, June 28, 2019. Donations of new 9 volt batteries are needed for the department’s annual free smoke detector and battery replacement campaign.

To drop off batteries, look for the red box marked “Battery Drop Spot” at the following locations: City Hall (Henderson), Vance County Tax Office, Maria Parham Health (front desk of the main lobby), L.B. Yancey Elementary School, Vance- Granville Community College (building 1, front lobby), Charles Boyd Chevrolet of Henderson, Vance County Department of Social Services and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce office.

With questions, please call McKinley Perkinson (252) 436-1402 or Evelyn Harris (252) 738-3254.

Deadline to Register for Junior Firefighter Program Extended

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-Information and flyer courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

The City of Henderson Fire Department, the Vance County Fire Department and the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department will be offering a FREE Junior Firefighter program for ages 11-15. This program is designed to enhance career awareness, personal development and the understanding of fire safety.

The program will run Monday, April 15 through Thursday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the first 30 participants. Participants must register at Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Rd. in Henderson) by Sunday, March 31, 2019.

Please contact Tara Goolsby at (252) 438-3948, tgoolsby@ci.henderson.nc.us or Victor Hunt at (252) 438-3408, vhunt@ci.henderson.nc.us for more information.

Henderson Junior Firefighter Program Open to First 30 Participants

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

The City of Henderson Fire Department, the Vance County Fire Department and the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department will be offering a FREE Junior Firefighter program for ages 11-15. This program is designed to enhance career awareness, personal development and the understanding of fire safety.

This program is open to the first 30 participants. Participants must register at Aycock Recreation Center (307 Carey Chapel Rd. in Henderson) by Friday, March 15, 2019.

Please contact Tara Goolsby at (252) 438-3948 or tgoolsby@ci.henderson.nc.us or Victor Hunt at (252) 438-3408 or vhunt@ci.henderson.nc.us for more information.

Henderson Fire Dept

‘It’s Hard to Beat a Chicken Plate’ – Fire Dept.’s Fundraiser for ‘Rae Rae’ Owen This Fri.!

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Henderson Fire Chief Steve Cordell was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS Town Talk program to discuss tomorrow’s chicken plate fundraiser for Raegan “Rae Rae” Owen, a local 10-year-old girl battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The fundraiser will be held this Friday, February 22, 2019, at Henderson Fire Station #1, 211 Dabney Drive, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Plates are available for $8 and tickets may be purchased from a member of the fire department prior to the event or the day of.

The event is sponsored by the Vance, Franklin, Granville and Warren County Fire and Rescue Departments with all proceeds benefiting Rae Rae and her family. T-shirts supporting Rae Rae’s battle with cancer will also be available for purchase.

Rae Rae’s father Randy Owen is a 32-year volunteer member of the fire department and the Fire & Rescue Coordinator at Vance-Granville Community College.

“When we see one of our own struggling with sickness like Rae Rae is battling, it really pulls on our heartstrings,” Cordell said. “We are one family, one fight.”

According to Cordell, the fire department has already sold approximately 1,200 tickets and anticipates serving a total of 2,500 plates.

“Come on out and eat with us on Friday. It’s hard to beat a chicken plate from a fire department. If it’s cooked by a fireman, it’s going to be a good meal.”

To hear the Town Talk interview with Chief Steve Cordell in its entirety, please click here.