Gudger grateful to the community for praying for his recovery

DOUBLE SPRINGS     - State Senator Garlan Gudger - who is recovering from major injuries suffered in a jet ski accident this summer - made his first speaking appearance since the accident Monday, Sept. 30, to celebrate over $119,000 in funding for projects across Winston County.
The community development projects announced by the Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development Council, were especially key to local and area fire departments, which are struggling due to inadequate funding and a lack of needed equipment, officials from across the county announced at the Winston County Courthouse in Double Springs.
“We wouldn’t be here today without our legislators,” began Paul Housel, North Alabama operations manager of the Cosby Company. “RC&D is funded through the legislature.”
Housel then introduced Gudger, along with State Representative Tim Wadsworth, who attended the grant funding announcements along with mayors, commissioners, law enforcement and fire departments from across the county.
“First of all, I want to say thank you to everybody in here. You have prayed for me, sent cards, sent my family food, checked on me,” Gudger began.
“I was in a bad Sea Doo accident, with a collision on the lake July 4,” Gudger continued. “I had eight fractured vertebrae, five fractured ribs. Two of those ribs were double-fractured. One poked into my lung. The artery on my spleen had messed up and I had internal bleeding.
“I got airlifted from the lake and I was in ICU for a while,” Gudger continued.
“This is truly my first working day that I have been out,” Gudger then confirmed. “I want to say thank you. Prayers work. I am just thankful I am here.”
Gudger focused the remainder of his comments on the importance of the key projects being funded.
“I am glad that you are applying for this money,” Gudger pointed out. “I know this particular county always takes and multiplies (the funding) whenever we give it to you.”
Wadsworth told Gudger he was glad to see him back in service.
“I am just proud you’re here,” said Wadsworth.  “One thing about RC&D, and these projects, if you don’t make the application, you don’t get the money.
“You have stepped up and made applications for projects in your areas, which is extremely important because every community has something they need funding on,” Wadsworth continued.  
“I appreciate RC&D for what they do,” he added. “Everybody in our county gets some type of funding.”
Dr. Nicole Wadsworth, who works in economic development, then added, “Rural communities sometimes have to work a little bit harder for funding, so RC&D has been an excellent partner.  We look forward to seeing these funds come to fruition.”

Struggling fire
departments major focus of funding

 A major focus was placed on funding projects for local and area fire departments, since many departments, especially volunteer ones, are struggling financially, officials at the meeting said.
“I feel we have done a lot of good for all of Winston County,” noted RC&D Executive Director Lauranne James.
Volunteer fire departments at both Ashridge and Pebble  received a joint grant of $7,343 for a repeater system in order to communicate more efficiently, according to Winston County Emergency Management Director A.J. Brown.
“There is no way those two departments could come up with the $10,000 to do the total project,” Brown pointed out.
“After receiving this (funding) from RC&D to get that project completed, once we’ll be able to flip this system on, it will benefit the community greatly in that area,” Brown added.
Winston County Commissioner District 2 David Cummings spoke out that Ashridge, Pebble and Delmar are  departments that do not receive any funding besides grant money.
“Those fire departments have no income coming in,” Cummings pointed out. “That helps those strictly volunteer fire departments that couldn’t make it without (the extra funding).”
Delmar Fire Department received $5,000 for lifesaving equipment.
“I do know it’s been very beneficial to them,” Brown stated. “Three of our fire departments that got grants this year receive no money from anyone other than fundraisers. They are completely self-sustained.
“If you have ever been involved in a regular fire department, it takes a lot of money and a lot of community support,” Brown added. “Without this (funding,) they would have no way to treat their citizens.”
Central Fire Department at Houston received $5,000 for fire hose upgrades.
RC&D Operations Manager Vanessa King explained that fire hoses are very expensive, as well as deteriorate over time.
“They were in great need just to stay up with codes,” King stated.
Craft Volunteer Fire Department in Marion County received $10,000 for the LUCAS Device, a machine that does automatic chest compressions in life-saving situations, with a portion of the funding also going for training.

Fire versus medical calls

Brown then gave figures from a national study, showing the majority of fire calls are medically related.
In fact, only four percent of calls to fire departments were fire related, as of 2020, statistics indicated.
According to a 2020 report from U.S. Fire Administration, over 25 million calls were run nationwide, with 64 percent of those calls being medical or rescue related, Brown reported.
This meant that only 3.9 percent involved fire, Brown pointed out.
“Of the 64 percent of rescue calls, 67.8 were EMS (emergency medical services), 13.9 percent were assists, 4.8 percent motor vehicle accidents with injuries and 9.9 percent all other EMS/rescue calls,” Brown reported.
“A fire department is not a fire department anymore. We are more medical than anything,” Brown added.