By Staff
Leada DeVaney, Hartselle Enquirer
An editorial in the Hartselle Enquirer and a trip to Utah has inspired a local man to start a fund raising drive for the fire department.
Mike Dowdy, a frequent contributor to the Enquirer's editorial page, is working with the city to raise money for the department. He said he was inspired to do so after the editorial, "A Penny's Worth of Preven-tion," about the need for fire equipment and the role it could have played in the prevention of the deaths of three people in a fire at Quail Run Apartments.
Then, Dowdy, a truck driver, saw a sign during a trip to Utah.
"It was in front of a fire department and they were asking for donations," Dowdy said. "I thought we could do the same thing. Every dollar we raise would take a dollar of pressure off the city's budget."
Dowdy said the money will be solicited from individuals and businesses and will be used to pay for the construction of a third fire station. Local business owners had previously donated the land to build the station, but the city has lacked the funds to begin construction.
The goal, Dowdy said, is $1 million.
Mayor Clif Knight said the money would be donated to the city, then would be set aside in a special ear-marked fund.
Because the city is a not-for profit entity, the donations can be written off on one's taxes, Knight said.
The department recently purchased a pumper truck and money is budgeted to buy a ladder truck. There is no money budgeted, however, to build a bay needed to store the truck.