Black Pond FD in urgent need of volunteers

BLACK POND - The Black Pond Fire Department doesn’t have enough manpower to run medical calls, one of the factors that has prompted the Double Springs Fire Department to no longer run medical calls in Black Pond’s coverage area.
The Double Springs Town Council, at their Monday, March 10, meeting, voted unanimously to give authorization to Fire Chief Brandon Lewis to officially present a letter to Black Pond Fire Chief Terry Tidwell and the Winston County E-9-1-1 office stating that Double Springs would no longer provide medical calls to Black Pond, effective Wednesday, March 12.
The main point stressed by Double Springs officials was that the Double Springs Fire Department often has to run medical calls in Black Pond when Black Pond does not respond to the calls.
 When Double Springs responds to Black Pond for these calls, it leaves their coverage area unmanned, which could be very serious if a fire or emergency occurred in the Double Springs fire coverage area, Double Springs officials added.
However, Tidwell explained that the Black Pond department is shorthanded, without personnel to respond to calls.  Only two members on the department’s roster are first responders who can assist on a medical call.
Tidwell added that he understood Double Springs’ decision, but stressed that the Black Pond department no longer had first responders.
“The only time I have got first responders is on Mondays and Thursdays,” Tidwell stated.
One of those personnel also works with Regional Paramedical Service Ambulance and another on the roster has health issues, preventing that person from taking an active role, Tidwell added.
“Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, I have nobody,” Tidwell emphasized.
Now that Double Springs is no longer running medical calls in Black Pond, RPS Ambulance will have to respond in their place, Tidwell stated.
“I am not qualified,” Tidwell stated. “And I am not putting Black Pond Fire Department in jeopardy on the count of me not knowing what I need to know.
“If I can help, then I will go help, but if it’s a medical situation, I’ll not mess with it. I am not certified with that,” Tidwell stated.
“We need more first responders besides the fire department,” he added. “Right now,  everybody I have talked to works. If they don’t work during the day, they work during the night.”
There are people in the Black Pond area who are retired, but they will not commit to the fire department, according to Tidwell.
“When we’re needed, they are all for it, like a brush fire or a house fire or something like that,” he continued. “After that, they don’t get involved.
“We have no choice because I don’t have anybody else qualified,” Tidwell emphasized. Tidwell added the department does not have the necessary equipment to run EMT-related calls or calls for drownings, boating accidents or other extreme situations.
“We need people in the medical field and we need people in the fire field,” Tidwell emphasized. “I am old. Everybody that is in (the fire department) is getting old, so it’s hard. It’s hard on me. I’m 75-years-old.  I will still do what I can do.”
Currently, the estimated time of arrival, for an ambulance to get to the Black Pond area ranges from 30-45 minutes to even an hour, depending on the location of the ambulance when a call goes out, Tidwell explained.
“Sometimes (the ambulance) is at Double Springs at the municipal building, and it’s not that long,” Tidwell stated.
“But, if you’ve got a critical emergency, then that’s a different story,” he noted. “I can’t blame Brandon (Lewis) for putting that in. I know where he is coming from, because it puts a stress on him and his people. I fully understand it.”

Black Pond FD needs more members

Tidwell urged anyone wishing to become a member of the fire department to come to their fire drill at the station on Monday nights, every other week or Monday, March 31, and talk with personnel.
Those interested in becoming a member of the fire department can contact Tidwell at (205) 272-1201. “If I am not available, leave me a message and I will call you back,” he said.