REHOBETH – TAYLOR: In a combined agreement between Rehobeth Mayor Kimberly Trotter and Rehobeth Town Council, Taylor Mayor Billy Snell and Taylor City Council, and Joey Pilcher of Dothan ( Pilcher’s ) Ambulance Service, several months ago Rehobeth Rescue assumed the awesome responsibility of providing emergency medical services for the Taylor Community.
Over these months this Rehobeth – Taylor relationship worked well. Taylor Volunteer Fire Chief Nathan Peterman and the men and women in Taylor Volunteer Fire Department, Rehobeth Fire – EMS Chief Nick Floyd and the men and women of Rehobeth Fire -Rescue along with Rehobeth Operations Manager Todd Phillips have worked hand in hand together. Lock step in everything to save lives and property.
All announced today, in the partnership, Rehobeth will keep a second crew staged at the Taylor Volunteer Fire Station on Highway 605 in Taylor. This will reduce response times to calls and make response diversified to respond in any direction.
Currently Rehobeth EMS Division runs from Rehobeth to the Alabama – Florida line on Highway 109, to the Alabama – Florida line on Highway 231, some areas of Hodgesville. When Taylor territory came on board Rehobeth EMS runs to Fortner Street on Highway 605 to Trawick Road near Alabama 52, and to Highway 203 ( outside the ciy limits of Dothan ). A large territory. With the movement of the additional ambulance and crew to Taylor it makes great sense in an effort to save lives and property.
On EMS side Taylor Volunteer Fire supports response with Rehobeth. On the fire side Rehobeth/Taylor are automatic aid on fire calls, and depending on location, Bay Springs Volunteer Fire, Southern Junction Volunteer Fire, Hodgesville Volunteer Fire, Madrid Volunteer Fire are all in automatic aid agreements. Depending on the call one, two or all departments are automatically dispatched.
Some of these departments have mutual aid agreements with Malvern Volunteer Fire, Slocomb Fire – Rescue and Fadette Volunteer Fire.
HISTORY
Having a lot of volunteers to respond, especially daytime, is a thing of the past. When Todd Phillips joined Rehobeth they were in debt to around $ 300,000.00. The registered voters elected Kimberly Trotter as Mayor. She had then Rehobeth Fire Chief Todd Phillips started a lot of discussion and plans. And members of Rehobeth Town Council were in those plans. At the time Todd Phillips was a Captain with Dothan Fire Department. As progress began to be made, larger discussions were held and optimistic plans were made.
Together the debt was brought under control and down.
There were many plans that became realities. Both Mayor Trotter and Chief Phillips looked at the model in Slocomb of their fire – rescue. Where the crews on the ambulance were full time, crossed trained in medical and fire, and had benefits. Each day with each tick of the clock, many hours of discussions and what if’s, the Town of Rehobeth was able to put together a great plan of how to serve the citizens of the Town of Rehobeth with full time fire and EMS services. Services which were Paramedic services. As time clicked, Nick Floyd took over as Fire – EMS Chief and Phillips moved to Operations Chief. The clocked ticked more and opportunities opened for Todd Phillips to leave Dothan Fire Department to go full time with the Town of Rehobeth.
Phillips, as Operations Chief, may be on a ambulance one minute, a fire truck the next, a lawnmower the next, and wherever the Town of Rehobeth needed him to make the service to the citizens better and more efficient.
As the services came together so did discussions between Rehobeth Mayor Kimberly Trotter and Taylor Mayor Billy Snell. Both very progressive Mayors who had a shared vision of serving their respective towns and surrounding community with top notch fire and EMS services. Both Mayor’s well aware that seconds counts when emergencies happen.
Those discussions then evolved into discussions with Dothan ( Pilcher ) Ambulance. They had served the Taylor community and serves as backup now. The volume of calls in the City of Dothan have grown tremendous and Mr. Pilcher welcomed the partnership, because his primary purpose is to save lives.
With everything working smooth, the visions and talks making sense to save lives and property, with service above self, the agreements and financial assistance in place, today marked a major step with the staging of a second ambulance crew at Taylor Volunteer Fire Station.
This has been a team effort. And one of people with vision with the elected public servants in Rehobeth and Taylor as well as the Rehobeth Fire – EMS and Taylor Volunteer Fire. With a vision of what “we” can do and no one with what “I” can do.
And “WE” will strive to serve the citizens and guests, and save lives and property.
