Dear Editor,

On April 5, we had a house fire that started in the kitchen.

After calling 911, three volunteer fire departments answered the call.

I want to thank Union Grove, Jemison and Thorsby for saving our home. These volunteer firemen train many hours and give up a lot of their time so that they can help others.

Our home would have burned to the ground if they hadn’t come to the rescue.

They all cooperated to get the job done.

Thank you Jemison, Union Grove and Thorsby.

Judy and Fred (Butch) Williams, Jemison

By Theadoris Morris

The closing of the Thorsby Library for renovations was approved at the Thorsby Town Council meeting Tuesday.

“The library will be temporarily closed until further notice,” said Mayor Dearl Hilyer. “The majority of the people that come in the library use the computers and not the book area, so until we find a better facility for the library, we feel that this is the best thing to do.”

The library will be made into a clerk’s office. The books will be given back to Clanton.

Residents will continue to have access to the computers, said Hilyer.

In other business, the Thorsby Fire Department’s $63,000 grant for new equipment was approved, and Fire Chief Lee Gunn is looking to begin the bidding within the next month.

Also, an engineer for the Medical Center Drive bridge project was received and approved. Calvin Cassidy will be the engineer.

It was also approved for the town to partner with Judicial Correction Services, Inc. to collect court funds and fines.

“Hopefully this will encourage people to go ahead and pay their fines,” said town clerk Denise Gunn. “If someone comes in and wants to pay a fine, I will say, ‘I can’t take your money,’ which will take it off my back.”

The company will add an additional $10 for each month a person’s fine isn’t paid. It is planned to take effect Feb. 8.

There will be a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 20 at the Municipal Annex at 5:30 p.m.

Once again, the Thorsby Fire Department will be riding Santa on their fire engines on Christmas Eve before the big man rushes off to makes his deliveries.

This event will take place Dec. 24, between the hours of 5:30-7:30 p.m. A full schedule can be found at Thorsby Town Hall.

In case of inclement weather, citizens may visit Santa at their neighborhood fire station from 6-7 p.m. If inclement weather occurs after Santa is out on the vehicles, he will be returned to the stations and available there for approximately 1 hour after returning.

Citizens should not call 911 to inquire about Santa. You may call the fire station at 646-3725 to determine a tentative schedule of Santa’s arrival at your home. Please do not call these numbers in case of emergency. For emergencies, dial 911.

It is important to stress that Santa will be riding fire vehicles that are on duty and on call. If an emergency occurs, these vehicles will have to break away from Santa duty and respond to the emergency, said Thorsby Fire Chief Lee Gunn.

“In this case, we will make every effort to continue with Santa, but the emergency situations take priority,” said Gunn. “We apologize for any inconvenience and will do our best to have Santa visit as many neighborhoods and streets as possible.”

By Scott Mims

The threat of inclement weather kept crowds at bay for the first week of Thorsby’s Movies in the Park last Friday. This weekend, the weather continues to be a concern with the otherwise well-attended event.

“People really turn out for this,” said Lt. Phillip Porter of the Thorsby Fire Department.

Last year, crowds of up to 350 people filled Richard Wood Park to watch family-friendly movies on an outdoor screen. This year, approximately 150 people attended the first showing.

Porter said the movies are geared toward a broader audience this year. Tonight’s showing will be “The Blind Side,” and next week will be “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” followed by “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” on June 18 and finally “Planet 51″ on June 25.

The event begins at 6 p.m. each Friday, and each movie begins at 8 p.m.

“We want to make it a very family oriented type event,” Porter said.

Movies in the Park has been expanded to include an adopt-a-thon by the Chilton County Humane Society and a booth where people can sign up to have free smoke detectors installed in their home.

Humane society Director Joe Murphy said one animal was adopted last week, which made the effort worthwhile for him. Murphy also gives talks about responsible pet ownership.

“It’s a nice little close-knit community event,” Murphy said. “I just enjoy being a part of it. If the weather would just clear up, I think a lot more people would attend.”

Nearly 20 people have signed up for the free smoke detectors, which are available to all Chilton County residents through a state grant. Members of the Thorsby Fire Department are required to install the detectors.

Those interested may call 646-3725 or e-mail a request to thorsbyfire@centurytel.net.

“We really want to stress that anybody who needs one to call us and sign up,” Porter said.

By Scott Mims

Thorsby’s Movies in the Park will make a return Friday night, May 28, and this year it will be bigger and better.

The event offers a free night out for the entire family, including a movie at Richard Wood Park, a chance to adopt a pet from the Chilton County Humane Society, and free smoke detectors.

The town has purchased a new LCD projector and screen, and volunteers have spent more than a month preparing for the first movie night.

Movies in the Park will run for at least five weeks every Friday night with activities beginning at 6 p.m. followed by a movie at 8 p.m.

“I think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done,” said Thorsby Fire Chief Lee Gunn. “People had been asking throughout the winter if we were going to be able to do it again.”

The idea came from a similar event held in Homewood. Last year, between 150 and 200 people attended each week. Gunn said the town hopes to see those numbers grow.

“We always wanted to do something like this,” he said.

A different movie will be shown each week. All will be movies that the entire family will enjoy, like “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. “The Blind Side” tells the story of Michael Oher, a homeless boy who grows up to become a first-round NFL draft pick.

Movie titles and show times are as follows:

May 28: “Monsters vs. Aliens”

June 4: “The Blind Side”

June 11: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”

June 18: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

June 25: “Planet 51”

Attendees will also have an opportunity to help a furry friend in need, either by donating to the Chilton County Humane Society or adopting an animal. Volunteers from the shelter will be on hand with animals to show.

Vendors from local businesses will have concessions available for purchase, and anyone in attendance may sign up to have a free smoke detector installed in their home.

The smoke detectors are available to all Chilton County residents through a state grant. Residents may obtain up to one smoke detector for every bedroom, as well as one for each floor of their home.

A member of the Thorsby Fire Department is required to install the detectors. Installation is performed free of charge. The department will also provide follow-up inspections, Gunn said.

“We’re going to do it for anybody in the county,” he said. “I think it’s a worthwhile campaign.”

People should plan to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Parking is available at the park and in nearby areas.

By Scott Mims

Each group represented at Thorsby’s Safety Day served a different function, but all had a common goal Thursday — to promote the safety of kids.
More than 400 students and children from the community went to Richard Wood Park for the event, which coincided with Thorsby School’s annual S.K.I.P. Program started several years ago to teach students about the danger of predators and the lures they commonly use.
S.K.I.P. coordinator Angie Barnett and members of the Thorsby Police Department provided students with important contact information and asked them questions about what they learned over the past week.
“When you educate children on keeping their bodies safe and you do a preventive approach, it sends a message to sexual predators that they’re not welcome in that community,” Barnett said.
Familiarizing students with the tricks used by predators seems to make them more aware of how the bad guys think. Thorsby student Brady Watson, for example, said a predator could see a student’s name on a decal of a vehicle and then approach the student, pretending to be familiar with him or her.
At another station, representatives of Operation Lifesaver urged kids to steer clear of railroad tracks and to be alert whenever approaching tracks.
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public education program started in 1972 to increase the public’s knowledge about trains and the responsibility of drivers around railroad crossings.
“We’re still doing the same thing,” said Nancy Hudson, Alabama Executive Director for Operation Lifesaver. “We talk to people and remind them to be careful at crossings.”
Later in the day Thursday, the group presented a program to driving-age students to coincide with prom weekend.
Members of the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department demonstrated a drug dog, SWAT gear and other equipment used in special operations.
Investigator Erric Price said they teach kids to never touch a gun and, if they should find one, to tell an adult.
“We want to make sure kids have a basic knowledge of firearm safety,” Price said.
The Thorsby Fire Department showed off their fire trucks and even let the kids have a shot at aiming a fire hose. Recent fire recruit school graduates Hunter Northcutt and Cody Beasley helped the students maintain control of the high-pressure hose as they attempted to knock tennis balls off of a target.
“We’re just kind of letting this be a fun day for the kids so they can look at the fire trucks, touch them and squirt a little water,” said Fire Chief Lee Gunn.
Also, in conjunction with the S.K.I.P. Program, Thorsby School and the Maplesville High School Beta Club partnered together to raise $2,340 for the Child Protect Advocacy Center through the Helping Hands Project.

By Scott Mims

Local public safety officials will introduce themselves to Thorsby students on Thursday in observance of Safety Day in Richard Wood Park.

Thorsby Fire Department, Thorsby Police Department, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Department, The Chilton County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, and Operation Lifesaver — a group that teaches railroad safety — all will share important information and helpful tips with students from 9 a.m. until noon.

The event coincides with Thorsby School’s annual SKIP Program, which teaches elementary students the nationally renowned “Think First and Stay Safe” curriculum for a full week each May.

While Safety Day is mainly for students, community members are also welcome to attend.

“It allows kids to be able to meet public servants here in the town and become familiar with them,” said Thorsby Police Chief Rodney Barnett.

Barnett said one goal of Safety Day is to ease any fears that kids might have of police officers or other officials. One way of doing this is by providing contact information and letting kids know that officers are there to help them.

Students will break up into groups and spend approximately five minutes at each station in the park. During that time, they will get to see vehicles and equipment up close and receive a few “goodies” to take home.

Following that morning’s activities, members of Operation Lifesaver will go into Thorsby School and speak to older students.

“Hopefully, what they’ve learned this week and next week will enable them to have a safe summer,” Barnett said.

By Scott Mims

Thirteen recruits graduated from the Thorsby Fire Recruit School last Friday, earning the right to be called firefighters.

Among them were several recruits from Chilton County. These included Tony Edwards of Clanton Fire Department, Robert Jernigan of Thorsby Fire Department, Matt Savage of Thorsby FD, Ryan O’Toole of Union Grove Fire Department, Cody Beasley of Thorsby FD, Cortley Minor of West Chilton Fire Department and Hunter Northcutt of Thorsby FD.

“This was probably our youngest class,” said Thorsby Fire Chief Lee Gunn. “I think this class pulled together really well as a group.”

The other graduates were James McGowin of White City Fire Department, Thomas Churchey of Odenville Fire Department, Jason Seaborn of Lawrence Mill Fire Department, David Byers of Margaret Fire Department, David Hyche of Concord Fire District and Brandon Frazier of Margaret FD.

Approximately 200 people attended the graduation, which was held in the fellowship hall of Thorsby First Baptist Church.

The recruit school was started in 2002, and Friday’s class was the fourth to graduate from the facility.

The rigorous, 400-hour recruit school covers 13 subject areas of training such as ladders, rescue, hose operations, hazardous materials operations and other topics. Training is conducted hands-on as well as in the classroom.

The 13 graduates received their diplomas, Firefighter I and Firefighter II certification, official department badges and NIMS (National Incident Management System) certification.

Gunn said the recruits came from all walks of life but learned to work as one unit, which is essential in any fire operation.

“You can’t do anything in the fire service alone. It takes more than one,” he said.

Gunn expressed his appreciation to Thorsby Mayor Dearl Hilyer and the town council, as well as those who attended and instructors of the course.

“I think it’s a real eye-opening experience for the public officials who were here (for the graduation),” Gunn said.

At 40, Tony Edwards of Clanton Fire Department was the oldest graduate of the school. Edwards served as a volunteer firefighter with Enterprise Fire Department for 18 years before he started with Clanton.

He said the best thing about the course was its accessibility. Had such a facility not been available in Chilton County, he would have had to go to the Alabama Fire College in Tuscaloosa.

“I’m married and I have two children, and for me to go to Tuscaloosa and stay four nights a week, it would have been very hard,” he said.

Edwards added that he learned a lot about fires, fire behavior and up-to-date techniques.

“Fire has always been fire, but the tools and techniques have changed over the years,” he said.

By Scott Mims

A quicker response time can mean the difference between life and death for a medical patient.
In 2009, the Thorsby Fire Department had an average response time of 5 minutes and 26 seconds — well below national recommendations, said Thorsby Fire Chief Lee Gunn.
The National Fire Protection Association’s  recommended response time for combination career andvolunteer departments like Thorsby is between seven and 10 minutes.
“We’re way under that standard,” Gunn said.
Just last week the department responded to a childbirth and a cardiac arrest. The baby was delivered on the scene, and the heart attack victim survived.
“With that real quick response time, the EMTs and paramedics were able to get there quickly, defibrillate the patient and transfer him down to Clanton. They stabilized him at Clanton and transferred him up to Birmingham,” Gunn said.
The department responded to 330 total incidents in 2009, a 1-percent decrease in call volume from 2008.
Of the incidents reported, there were 175 medical emergencies, 17 structure fires and six brush fires. There were 10 motor vehicle accidents, and three individuals had to be extricated.
The department also responded to 26 public assistance calls and 93 miscellaneous incidents.
The most common known cause of structure fires was electrical malfunction, which accounted for three fires. One fire was suspicious in nature, and four had unknown causes. Nine structure fire calls were for mutual or automatic aid, in which case the cause was not reported.
There were three civilian deaths in 2009, none of which were caused by fires, and three fire service injuries.
Gunn said one of the outstanding things about 2009 was the number of community events held throughout the year. These included Movies in the Park, a Fourth of July fireworks show, the annual Christmas Eve Santa Run, Fire Prevention Week and Community Cleanup Day.
Thorsby EMS officials are also present for football games and other athletic events.
“They’re doing a lot of things for the community that are not necessarily in their job description,” Gunn said.

By Scott Mims

John Dennis began his career as a volunteer firefighter for the Thorsby Fire Department at age 17. But he knew what he wanted to do at a much younger age.
“When I was in kindergarten visiting the fire station, I knew I wanted to be a fireman,” said Dennis, adding that the television series “Emergency” spurred his ambitions even further.
Dennis, a 24-year veteran with the Hoover Fire Department, was recently hired as Jemison’s part-time fire chief. The city approached him about the position soon after he had begun teaching a volunteer firefighter certification class in Jemison at no charge.
“I had felt the need to begin to give back to my community, and Jemison was the best fit for me to do that,” Dennis explained.
When he learned of the opportunity to serve as the department’s chief, he jumped at the idea.
“It was the type of opportunity I had been looking for for a long time,” he said.
Dennis graduated from Thorsby High School in 1978 and has since completed 30 years of training.
He is also an adjunct instructor with the Alabama State Fire College.
“With his wealth of experience and training, and as a person, he’s going to be an asset to the city and its citizens,” Director of Public Safety Shane Fulmer said.
Both men spoke highly of Bobby Tucker, who will continue to serve as assistant fire chief, and former Rescue Chief Donna Manasco.
“Jemison has had outstanding volunteers and provided outstanding services to the public since the beginning. Our goal is to provide even better service to the public,” Dennis said.
Dennis is married to his wife of nearly 29 years, Janet, and has two daughters, Jessica and Jennifer. He also serves as the minister of music and youth at New Covenant Baptist Church in Clanton.