“A few good, honest, hard-working men who were dedicated to helping keep a safer community for all of us organized the South Franklin County Volunteer Fire Department in 1976.” That is the opening sentence from the history of the fire department. There were 18 founding members, but only four remain alive today. Edwin Rhoades is one of those founding members and, at 86, still helps when called. The group, through a grant from the Forest Service, acquired its first truck in its inaugural year.
The South Franklin County Volunteer Fire Department was created to meet the needs of residents south of I-30. The landscape was far different in 1976 than it is today. At the time, Winnsboro and Mount Vernon had the only fire departments that could respond to a call for help. Lake Cypress Springs was newly created in 1972, and there were very few houses. Today, there are approximately 1,000 lakefront homes and countless others within the subdivisions surrounding the lake. Retail, commercial, and other residential structures dot the landscape where farmland once was undeveloped.
As the needs of the county population grew, the SFCVFD grew to meet those needs with more volunteer members and more equipment. The first responders became more than firefighters; they added emergency medical services to their duties. Currently, they handle an average of 400 calls per year, ranging from medical assistance to fires to roadside accidents and the occasional public assistance calls for the elderly who have fallen.
Although they have 28 volunteer members, there are 15 active members who respond to the majority of calls. Their occupations vary from paramedics, nurses, secretaries, mechanics, and part-time farmers. For the less active members, being able to leave a job to respond to a call is a huge impediment. Fewer employers are willing to excuse the time demands placed on these volunteers. On average, each volunteer serves 5-6 hours per week, with the greatest need during the summer and wildfire season. Each volunteer is on call 24/7 with a pager that transmits dispatches from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office.
Eddie Rhoades has been the Fire Chief for over 30 years, and he has served as a volunteer for 47 years. I asked him what the greatest achievement has been for the SFCVFD, and he responded, “Being there for the community when there is a need for assistance.” What is the biggest challenge? “We don’t have any real challenges other than keeping the volunteer members engaged.”
In addition to responding to the needs of the community, the volunteers are required to complete annual training on all of the skills required to fulfill this job. Every piece of new equipment requires training. Eddie was pleased to share that the newest tanker truck will upgrade an aging fleet.
As the SFCVFD looks to the future, they plan to add a new station on the north side of Lake Cypress Springs. This will improve response time and expand the coverage for the entire lake. Currently, the western half of the lake is covered, being within five miles of the station on FM 115 and CR 3357. Adding a new station on the north side will improve the ISO rating used by insurers to calculate premiums.
As they celebrate their 50th Anniversary, we are grateful for the service these brave men and women provide as First Responders.
