La Follette Fire’s newest life saving unit arrived on Friday afternoon to Fire Hall #1.
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – The face of rescue changed Friday afternoon as La Follette Fire Captain Dusty Davis and Chief Jimmy Pack came driving up Beech Street in the LFD’s new Medical Rescue Unit. “Having this new unit is a major deal,” said the chief.
(Left to right) Firefighter Daniel Lawson, Captain Dusty Davis, Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Hatmaker, Council Member Stephanie Grimm, Mayor Phillip Farmer, Council Member Mark Hoskins, Chief Jimmy Pack, Firefighter Shawn McGlone and FirefighterNathanial “Red” Vannorstran
Ordered in September 2020, a handful of firefighters headed to Corbin, Ky, on Friday morning to inspect the new unit and bring back to Fire Hall #1, where it will be housed. The unit was assembled by Southeast Apparatus of Corbin.
Firefighter Nathanial “Red” Vannorstranlooks into the soon to be filled back area of Unit 101.Below Firefighter Shawn McGlone has pulled the tray all the way out of the back area. This feature allows First Responders to get to all the equipment rather than climbing in to search for it.
“This rescue unit is a combined medical unit and extrication vehicle all in one and takes the place of two vehicles,” said Pack. It will be used on First Responder calls driven mainly by LFD’s Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
“The folks at Corbin asked why on earth do you want lettering on the back of the truck? There’s a story that goes with that. Years ago, a former city council member called in complaining that he was behind an LFD unit, and it had a tail light out. He was told that was not an LFD truck, and he realized that once he could see the lettering on the door. We inspect every unit at the start of everyday for such things as a non-working tail light,” said Pack.
Unit 101, with a price tag of $128,000, according to officials, will go into service this week. However, a winch and brush guard are on back order and will be added to the new truck in March. “There was no need to let it sit up in Kentucky for another three or four months when we could be using it here,” said Pack.
Council Member Wayne Kitts (left) is with Chief Jimmy Pack (right). Kitts was Pack’s high school basketball coach on Wynn’s state tournament team in 1986.
See more Charlie Hutson photos HERE.(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/06/2021-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)
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