CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. – The Johnson’s Crossing Volunteer Fire Department recently held a Ropes and Knots training course at a Berlin Volunteer Fire Department station, shining a spotlight on needs of local VFDs.
Three local fire chiefs weighed in on the importance of training events for their respective departments: Jones Chapel, Johnson’s Crossing and Gold Ridge.
Jones Chapel Fire Chief Clint Thrasher said his department has a training schedule it uses and tries to offer classes, events and more.
“The fire service as a whole has changed a lot since most of the VFDs started around Cullman in the 70s,” Thrasher said. “Now fire departments wear a lot of hats. Back when Jones Chapel was established, they fought fire. Now, VFDs answer fire, EMS, wrecks, HAZMAT, rope rescue, water rescues and various other types of calls for service. Specific training such as the rope rescue classes recently held around various agencies in the county are a prime example of this. We held two rope classes in Jones Chapel in 2024 and had one high-angle rescue during the year. These special services are extremely difficult for us because we don’t do them often. I applaud all these agencies who are embracing the change and training hard to be ready to answer the calls in their community. We are a melting pot of backgrounds and we have to come together and train as a group to be able to perform when the time comes.”
Thrasher said if there are new tool they need to train on, or if they struggled with something on a call and need to specifically work on that, they will.
“We meet every Monday, and the first Monday is our business meeting with fire training to follow the next two Mondays,” he said. “EMS training is held on the fourth Monday. If we have a fifth Monday, it’s open to do whatever is needed. Our schedule is fluid.”
When referring to the necessity of training events, Thrasher said “not if, but when” comes to mind.
“When we bought rope rescue material, there were naysayers who thought we were crazy,” he explained. “Less than 30 days later we performed a 85-foot vertical lift to rescue a patient from a wreck over a bridge. We never know from day to day what type of emergency we will be responding to. Also, being a volunteer department we don’t know from day to day which members will be available. It’s very important for us to stay on top of training.”
Thrasher said anyone who is interested in joining the Jones Chapel VFD can come by on a Monday night at 6:30 or message the department on Facebook to set up a meeting.
Johnson’s Crossing Fire Chief Mark Reeves shared that although Berlin VFD hosted the Basic Rope class, Johnson’s Crossing had members attend the class, along with attendees from other departments.
“We are all ‘neighbors helping neighbors,’” he said. “We are working on more training this year to help ourselves individually to be better prepared and as a department to help serve our communities better. It’s getting harder to find people to volunteer. We are always accepting applications for new members. Every department in Cullman County needs more volunteers. All departments work hard to train and keep our equipment in good shape. We have become a family with a special bond, not only within our own departments, but also county- and statewide.”
Gold Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ryan Whisenhunt said, in general, his department requires minimum training, but strongly encourages certification through accredited organizations, such as the Alabama Fire College.
“Some personnel struggle to meet dedicated schedule requirements due to full-time jobs and other responsibilities,” Whisenhunt said. “For those personnel, we cycle them through an in-house training program that coincides with curriculums like that of the fire college. Each month, we facilitate a training session that varies from topics related to fire, EMS, rescue, HAZMAT, etc. The reality is this: fire is fire no matter the locality or department type. Therefore, we have to prepare the same way a municipal department does, but we sacrifice more personal time and resources because we’re volunteers.”
Whisenhunt said Ropes and Knots training, in a nutshell, can be as simple as how to properly secure a ladder, how to drag a victim from a fire, how to lift a patient from a ravine, how to tie down equipment — using different types of ropes.
For more information about the mentioned departments, visit www.facebook.com/berlinfireandrescue, https://tinyurl.com/JonesChapelVFD, www.facebook.com/johnsonscrossingvolunteerfiredepartment or https://tinyurl.com/GoldRidgeVFD.
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