East Houston County UNPAID PROFESSIONAL FIRE Have Been Busy

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jun 25 2018 9:41 PM

HOUSTON COUNTY:    On Sunday and Monday the eastside Houston County UNPAID PROFESSIONAL Fire Departments have been very busy.

On Sunday morning Lovetown, Cottonwood and Hodgesville along with Cottonwood Rescue have been busy. And yes, I am aware those are not really “east” Houston County. But they worked a structure fire in the 9100 block of Cottonwood Road. That call was at 4 AM on Sunday morning.

Later on Sunday a outdoor fire caused multiple department response. A fire got out of control. Departments responded from Pansy, Gordon, Lucy and Ashford.

On Sunday evening a vehicle fire in Pansy at Liberty Gas Station on Highway 84.

Today hay bales caught on fire. This call was in Pansy. Responding to the scene were UNPAID PROFESSIONAL FIRE from Pansy, Ashford, Lovetown, Gordon, Gordon Police, Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management, and Ashford Rescue.

A reported structure fire in Madrid required multiple department response.

Departments from all across Houston County have been busy really throughout the weekend. A natural death in National Road on Friday where a person had been dead for several days.

A suicide where the person had been in the vehicle deceased since Saturday and found on Sunday.

Several motor vehicle accidents. Fortunately most with minor injuries.

Throughout Houston County, there are 18 Fire Departments, which include Dothan. There are 17 UNPAID PROFESSIONAL FIRE Departments spread throughout Houston County.

Houston County consists of 587 square miles. Dothan sits on about 68 square miles and sits inside Dale and Houston County. The Dothan Regional Airport is in the City Limits of Dothan but sits in Dale County. Wallace Community College sits in Dale County but also in the city limits of Dothan. Cummings Signs on Napier Field Road sits in the city limits of Dothan but in Dale County.

Responsible for some 519 square miles are the UNPAID PROFESSIONALS in Houston County. Fire Protection Consists of Cowarts, Ashford, Pansey, Gordon, Lucy, Columbia, Webb, Kinsey, Lovetown, Cottonwood, Madrid, Hodgesville, Rehobeth, Southern Junction, Taylor, Bay Springs and Wicksburg.

EMS Coverage of the 519 square miles are Columbia Rescue, Ashford Rescue, Cottonwood Rescue, Rehobeth Rescue and Wicksburg REscue. The Kinsey area is covered by Headland Rescue that responds from Headland into Kinsey. Pilcher Ambulance has specific response territory outside the corporate city limits of Dothan in areas of 519 square miles outside of Dothan. Pilcher’s also serves as backup to the  EMS units.

These departments are backed up with Advanced Life Support from both Pilcher Ambulance and Dothan Fire. As this article is written at 9:33 PM Columbia Rescue has just requested Dothan Fire respond towards Columbia to meet the ambulance for advanced life support on a cardiac patient.

All in all the system works good. But it is work as these departments strive to stay on top of the ever changing fire and EMS fields, keep people motivated and dedicated to serve the communities.

If you wish to volunteer and want plugged into a particular department, please call Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management Agency at 334-794-9720. Director Judah will work to plug you into a department near you.

I have been involved in emergency services in Houston County since 1977. 

Dothan Fire and Pilcher Ambulance respond to somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 calls a year in the 68 square miles of Dothan.

The 17 UNPAID PROFESSIONAL Fire, the 6 EMS and Pilcher Ambulance respond to close to 7,000 calls per year in the 519 square miles outside the city limits of Dothan.

Yes, 23,000 fire and EMS calls a year in Dothan - Houston County.

THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO.

When the Houston County Commission hired Chris Judah as Emergency Management Director for Dothan - Houston County, two primary mandates were given. (1) Improve the working relationship with Dothan Fire (2) work with the UNPAID PROFESSIONAL Fire and EMS throughout the 519 square miles of Houston County. 

Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management responds to a lot of calls with the UNPAID PROFESSIONALS to assist them. Not to manage the department, but work with them providing what resources they need. Director Judah grabs a fire hose and suits up and helps fight fires all across Houston County. Working in partnership to make it #houstoncountystrong.

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