Arbala to hold first Junior Fire Academy
County VFD
North Hopkins Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bobby Harris announced that the department had been promised a land donation for a substation at the Hopkins County VFD Fire Chiefs meeting Monday evening.
“This guy, I shook his hand, and I’ve known him for a long time,” Harris said. “He said, as far as I’m concerned, the property is yours. You just need to have it surveyed off.”
Harris added that the department also had to pay the closing costs on the property that will take up 200 to 250 square feet. It is on County Road 4759 just off Farm Road 2285 outside Sulphur Springs.
“The department will take donations to cover the cost,” Harris said.
South Sulphur VFD Chief Jim Rich also said the substation would be a joint project between his department and North Hopkins VFD.
“We don’t throw stones at each other too often,” Harris joked.
Harris said the person donating had one stipulation: a dedication plaque in memory of Steven Vickery, a Hopkins County firefighter who died in 2017 of heart disease.
INSURANCE SAVINGS
According to Harris, building the substation in that area could lower insurance rates for homeowners within 5 miles of the substation, a fact concurred by the Texas Department of Insurance.
Homes are rated 1-10 by the Insurance Services Office, an advisory company to the industry, with 1 being the best. Factors such as department capabilities, water supply and fire responses affect the rating, and any building more than 5 road miles from a station is rated at 10 with few exceptions.
Insurers are not required to use ISO ratings to determine premiums, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.
Previously, the North Hopkins VFD had been promised land in the same area, but the deal fell through due to external matters.
JUNIOR FIRE ACADEMY
Arabala VFD Chief Brian Fairchild spoke about its July 20 fund-raiser, the Arbala Junior Fire Academy, and said the department “has been working a lot on that.”
“We’ve been building our props, training for clown shows. It’s going to be neat,” he said. “It’s going to be hot, too.”
(Read more about the Arbala Fire Academy in the Saturday, July 13 edition.)
BOOSTING THE SIGNAL
Placing a channel repeater on Sulphur Bluff ISD’s Wi-Fi antenna was discussed in an effort to improve reception in remote county areas. According to Hopkins Fire Chief Andy Endsley, Cumby has a similar device on a nearby tower.
“If it works well, we can start trying [to place repeaters] throughout the county to boost our signal,” Endsley said.
Other discussion items included the fire departments implementing a digital system, VFD contracts and various responses to fires.