Ovilla Volunteer Fire Department

Ovilla Fire sends out their prayers to the Mayberry family in this awful time. Elijah was one of the good ones, always smiling, always poking fun at something. Rest easy, brother.

Thank you to everyone that came and supported us! We had an amazing turn out and we are so thankful for each and every one of you! Our next will be September 14 so mark your calendars!

SWAMP JOHNS AUGUST 17

We know it's close to our last one, but we had to take the dates that were available! So that being said this Saturday, Aug 17 from 4-7pm we will be hosting Swamp John's!

$15/plate yall come out and enjoy some good food and fellowship!

We have been keeping a secret for a few weeks, and it is time we come clean.

We have been fortunate enough to receive an incredible gift, thanks to the generosity of the County EMA. They have provided us with a new (to us) 1996 KME Renegade engine, which represents a significant upgrade for our department in various aspects. This development could not have come at a better time, as we have been struggling with apparatus for quite some time. We owe a great debt of gratitude to EMA Director Brian Smith for his assistance in this matter.

Additionally, we have received nearly $100,000 in grants over the past couple of years, allowing us to outfit our members with state-of-the-art turnouts, air packs, masks, nomex jumpsuits for non-structure fires, hand tools, and power tools.

Our success is a testament to the unwavering support of our community and the tireless efforts of our members, who have dedicated themselves to the growth and development of our department. While the past five years have presented challenges, we are confident that we are on the path to success!

We also want to express our appreciation to Jake's Lettering, who striped the new Engine 91, and exceeded our expectations!

Thanks and God Bless,

Kevin Slone, Fire Chief

SWAMP JOHNS THIS SATURDAY JULY 20, 2024 4-7PM

Swamp John's is back again! Come grab you a plate this Saturday from 4-7pm at Ovilla Fire Department! Plates are $15/each with choice of fish/shrimp/chicken and all the fixins!

SWAMP JOHNS IS BACK!

This Saturday, May 11 from 4-7pm we will be hosting Swamp Johns for an evening of good food and fellowship. As it was with the last event, plates are $15 with your choice of fish/shrimp/chicken with all the fixins, drink, and dessert.

We hope to see everyone!

As some in the community might have seen, we have gotten a dumpster for our use. That being said, the garbage pictured here is not ours. This dumpster gets emptied every 2 weeks, and isn't very large as we don't produce a lot of garbage. We know there isn't much we can do legally as far as prevention of public use goes, but we would like for courtesy to be used and to not use our dumpster for personal use as we cannot afford to put a fence up and pay the extra fees included with the disposal company when it is behind a gate.

When we have fundraisers we produce enough waste to fill this dumpster up and if it is already full due to the public filling it up, then we are going to run into issues.

We hate to be like this, but this is the second time it's been filled by others than our own staff/members and we've only had the dumpster for a month.

If you have been using the dumpster and would like to provide the funding for us to upgrade the size, reach out and we can come to an agreement. Until then, we are just giving a friendly reminder that it is not for public use.

April marks the new budget term for Ovilla Fire. That being said due to unforseen circumstances, we will be providing fire suppression with buckets and bicycles this year. This may seem like a drastic change, but gas prices are on the rise and maintenance cost is at an unsustainable high. We will be selling our current apparatus to purchase two of the bad boys pictured below. Pray for our calf muscles, Wayne County is quite hill-ridden.

Wayne County has an elevated to significant risk of fire activity today (March 19th) and part of tomorrow (March 20th), the Ovilla Fire Department would like to ask everyone to please limit or refrain from outdoor burning until conditions improve.

To obtain a burn permit and check for local burn restrictions please visit https://www.tn.gov/tnwildlandfire/prevention/safe-debris-burning/permits.html

You can also call (877)350-2876 to obtain a burn permit over the phone.

TN Wildland Fire Tennessee Department of Agriculture

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March 19,2024

Much of our County is under a significant risk for Fire Development today. Please refrain from open burning.

It's been a busy past couple of days for the Ovilla Fire Department, over the past two days (March 13th & 14th) our volunteers have battled two wildfires and responded to a Landing Zone setup for Air EVAC.

03/13/2024
INCIDENT - Wildfire
CAUSE - Under Investigation
ACRES BURNED - 87
TIME ON SCENE - 5.5 Hours
LOCATION - Area of Tie Camp Road and Upper Factory Creek Road (originally reported at the intersection of Granny Scott Hollow Road and South Fortyeight Creek Road)
RESOURCES - Engine 91 (Ovilla Fire Dept.), Engine 11 (Wayne County Fire Dept. Station 1), 4 Dozers (Tennessee Division of Forestry), and 3 Brush Trucks (Tennessee Division of Forestry)

03/14/2024
INCIDENT - Wildfire
CAUSE - Trash Fire
ACRES BURNED - 35
TIME ON SCENE - 4 Hours
LOCATION - Area of 1901 Lawrenceburg Hwy
RESOURCES - Engine 91 (Ovilla Fire Dept.), Wayne County Fire Dept. Station 1, Lawrence County EMA 1 (Lawrence County EMA), Director 1 (Lawrence County Fire & Rescue), Brush 30 (West End Fire Dept./Lawrence County), and 2 Dozers (Tennessee Division of Forestry)

03/13/2024
INCIDENT - Landing Zone Setup
CANCELLED

We would like to thank the Tennessee Department of Agriculture/TN Wildland Fire, West End Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Lawrence County Fire & Rescue Tennessee, and Lawrenceburg Lawrence County Emergency Management for their assistance.

OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY PLEASE MESSAGE US ON FACEBOOK OR CALL (931)722-7742

As temperatures drop this weekend into the single digits, we remind Tennesseans that staying warm *AND* safe this winter comes down to four steps!

Remember:

- Always use working smoke alarms. Need working smoke alarms? Request one through the "Get Alarmed, Tennessee!" smoke alarm program.

- Heat your home with care. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from a heating source.

- Have an escape plan and practice it. Have two ways out of every room.

- Close the door! A closed bedroom door can give you precious minutes in the event of a home fire.

As temperatures drop this week across the Volunteer State, we're reminding Tennesseans to never use their ovens or stoves to heat their homes, period. Why?

- Ovens weren't designed to heat homes and won't heat a home efficiently.

- Using an oven or stove as a heating source creates a fire and burn hazard for residents in home.

- Heating an apartment or home with an oven that's on and open can also emit dangerous pollutants and gases such as carbon monoxide into your home.

For the second year in a row Ovilla Volunteer Fire Department was fortunate enough to receive the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grant from the Tennessee Department of Forestry. This year we received five(5) Wildland Helmets, five(5) Goggles, two(2) Backpack Blowers, and five(5) NOMEX(fire resistant) jumpsuits. This equipment is just another step for our department in the right direction to assist us in safely and efficiently fight wildland fires.

A huge thanks to Assistant Fire Chief Gerald "Jerry" King in his hard work applying for these grants!

Pictured below is Andrew Alexander(TNDoF) and Asst Chief King.

Interested in helping your community? We are currently accepting applications for Fire Fighter and Support Staff. Applicants must be 18 years of age, clean background, no drug use, and hold a valid driver's license. Reach out to us on here, or email us at [email protected].

OVILLA FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUE TRUCK FUNDRAISER

This Saturday, December 16 from 4-7pm POPS BBQ will be at OVFD for the first of many needed fundraisers! Over the coming months we will be hosting a variety of different vendors/caterers/food trucks and other events all for the purpose of raising funds for our department to acquire a much needed rescue unit. Provided below is a sample image (similar to what we are looking for) of the type of unit the funds will be going towards.

Pop's BBQ will be providing fish/shrimp/chicken and all the fixin's for $13/plate! They come highly recommended by other departments so we invited them to come join our community and provide some good food and fellowship!

The rescue unit will provide a numerous amount of highly beneficial uses within the department including(but not limited to):

Brush Fires
Motor Vehicle Accident Response
Extrication
Storm Cleanup
Disaster Relief
Man-Power Support
Landing Zone Setups
Medical Assistance Requests
Transportation to training

Sadly there is not a lot of grant opportunities available for vehicle acquisition due to high limitations of geographic location and other determining factors. These fundraisers will be a way for us to put money into a dedicated account that will go directly to funding one of these units for our department.

We greatly appreciate the continued support from the community, and look forward to many more years of providing emergency services to Ovilla and the surrounding areas!

Yesterday Ovilla Assistant Chief Gerald "Jerry" King graduated from Columbia Fire Department's recruit school. This school consisted of eight weeks of full time training, which will better help him in both his full time job as a firefighter, as well as his role within our department. We want to congratulate Jerry on a job well done and thank him for his continued dedication to the fire service!

🔥 INCREASED FIRE DANGER IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING - Nov. 29 🔥

Smokey's Fire Danger Rating = HIGH
All fine fuels readily ignite and fires start easily from most causes.

High fire danger conditions are expected across middle and east Tennessee regions late this morning into early eventing. High pressure will influence relative humidity levels in low to mid 30s this afternoon and 20 foot southwest winds around 11 to 20 mph late this morning through mid afternoon today. The combination of low relative humidities, gusty winds, and very dry fuels will lead to an increased risk of dangerous fire behavior.

Similar fire danger conditions could occur again on Thursday as minimum afternoon relative humidity values continue to range in low to mid 30s with 20 foot winds around 10 mph.

US National Weather Service Nashville Tennessee
US National Weather Service Morristown Tennessee
Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office
Emergency Management Agency

SWAMP JOHNS THIS SATURDAY AT Ovilla Volunteer Fire Department

Swamp John's called and CONFIRMED that they will be here this Saturday, November 11 from 4-7pm with their infamous fish, shrimp, and chicken plates!

Unfortunately, yet again, they've raised the price on us. This brings it to $15/plate. Plates include your choice of fish, shrimp, chicken with all the fixin's, drink and dessert! We apologize for this, but as with everything the price won't ever go down.

We look forward to food and fellowship with everyone! God bless!

MESSAGE FRON THE TN. DIVISON OF FORESTRY; BURNING PERMITS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FROM MONDAY through Thursday due to DROUGHT CONDITIONS, COUNTIES INVOLVED, WAYNE, LEWIS, HARDIN, LAWRENCE, PERRY, GILES, HICKMAN, MAURY, LINCOLN, MOORE, WILLIAMSON, and RUTHERFORD COUNTIES. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Tennessee Department of Agriculture TN Wildland Fire

As of today there is a burn ban in effect for Wayne County (As well as surrounding counties) from November 2nd through November 5th. This means no opening burning, we will update everyone if conditions continue.

Thanks for everyone’s cooperation.

TN Wildland Fire Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Today we responded with Wayne County Fire Department Station 1 to a wildfire located at the intersection of Skelton Sawmill Road and Savannah Highway. The Fire was contained to approximately 17 acres of forested land and grassland, all structures were kept safe from the fire and no injuries were reported during this incident. We would like to thank all additional units from Station 3 (Beech Creek Fire Dept.), Station 8 (Eagle Creek Fire Dept.), Waynesboro City Fire Department, and the TN Division of Forestry that responded to this incident to assist in structure protection and containment efforts. Please remember to monitor any burning that you may be doing this year and don't leave your fire unattended, burn permit season in the State of Tennessee runs from October 15th to May 15th and remember to check your local restrictions for burn reqirments or bans.

If you need to recieve a burn permit please call 1-877-350-2876 use the link listed below

Permits Get A Permit Burning permits focus attention on the safe use of fire. From October 15 through May 15, anyone starting an open-air fire within 500 feet of a forest, grassland, or woodland must by law secure a burning permit from the Division of Forestry. Permits are not required for burning in contai...

NASHVILLE – As Tennessee heads into fall fire season, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry (TDF) is observing National Fire Prevention Week October 8 – 14, 2023. Due to the drier conditions and leaf litter that accompany autumn in our state, a debris burn permit is required for leaf and brush pile fires beginning October 15 and residents are urged to take appropriate fire safety measures.

“There is a heightened risk of wildland fire this month in Tennessee,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Risks associated with careless debris burning are high, particularly during fire season when conditions are dry and natural fuel is abundant. If you plan to burn, you must obtain a permit where local governments don’t have established outdoor burning ordinances. Remember to stay with your fire, establish a safe perimeter, and keep tools on hand to control the burn.”

Debris Burn Permits for leaf and brush piles are available at no charge via the MyTN mobile app or online at www.BurnSafeTN.org. Apply the same day you plan to burn. Online permits may be obtained daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Eastern and Central time zones (based on your location) for any size leaf and/or brush burn pile, as well as prescribed fires and broadcast burning, such as for forestry, agricultural, or land clearing applications. Each fire should be completely extinguished by the permit expiration.
PERMIT REQUIRED STARTING SUNDAY OCT 15
TN Wildland Fire
RELEASE IN COMMENTS

A door can be one of the best pieces of firefighting & lifesaving equipment.

A closed door can hinder flames and smoke from spreading to other rooms and can help deprive a fire of the oxygen it needs to grow, limiting the structural damage a fire can cause and, most importantly, saving lives. In fact, closing doors to quarantine a fire is an age-old technique used by firefighters that homeowners should always remember.

The extra time bought by closing the door has never been more crucial.

Forty years ago, residents had over 17 minutes to escape a home fire with their lives—that number is now under 3 minutes. UL cites changing home construction trends, like open floor plans and new construction materials, as one reason for the reduction in time occupants have to escape. Another contributing factor is the toxicity of synthetic fibers often found in modern furniture. When burned, the chemicals given off by synthetic fibers are much more toxic than those of natural fibers like cotton. This can limit the amount of smoke you can take in before being incapacitated.

Twenty-two years ago our nation faced extreme devastation after what was a needless act of violence from the evil that roams this earth. Twenty-two years ago, families saw their loved ones walk out the door to what was normal for them, "just another day in paradise". Kids kissed their fathers and mothers. Wives hugged their husbands, and husbands hugged their wives. None of these families knew that just a few short hours later, life would never be the same.

The men and women of the Ovilla Fire Department remember the 343 New York City firefighters and paramedics killed that day while rushing in to those two doomed buildings as everyone else was rushing to get out. We remember the 23 NYPD officers and 37 Port Authority Police officers killed. We remember the 125 civilians and military personnel killed at the Pentagon. And we remember the nearly 3,000 civilians who perished in the towers and on those four airliners that day.

As many firefighters, police, military, and other public service members know... sometimes your gut tells you that you may not make it home from this one. Sometimes your mind is screaming "DON'T DO IT!", yet you continue to run towards the danger. The one thing that we all share, though, is the knowledge that if we don't continue to stay true to our oath of service there might be an innocent life lost.

G.K. Chesterton once said “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.” Many times I have seen this displayed over my last twelve years in public service. You see the videos of police running towards gun fire. You see firefighters on roofs of buildings that are fully involved. I know that none of these people woke up saying that they hoped their life was put on the line, but they've learned to suppress the thought in the back of their head so they can maintain the certain level of professionalism and bravery that is expected of them. Day in, day out, they perform the task that is asked of them, no matter the danger.

I personally cannot imagine what thoughts were running through the minds of the first responders that day. They had been told time and time again that the twin towers were "uncollapsable". Yet hundreds witnessed this statement to be false, and watched as they fell. I recently got to visit a museum that had a steel beam and a firefighters helmet that was pulled from the rubble. I looked at the helmet, knowing that the firefighter who placed it on his head didn't realize that it would never see another call. I began to feel a wave of emotions that I can honestly say I've never felt. Confusion. Sadness. Anger. Fear. All balled up in the back of my throat. So many lives lost that day. So many children growing up without their parents. Mothers never holding their children.

OVFD has not forgotten. The selflessness, bravery, courage, and sacrifice that was displayed that day will forever be in our hearts. How about you?

God Bless America, and God Bless Wayne County!

-Kevin Slone, Fire Chief
Ovilla Volunteer Fire Department

4 PIGLETS BBQ SATURDAY, SEPT 9

Ovilla Fire will be hosting 4 PIGLETS BBQ for the first time this Saturday from 4-7pm! Plates will be $14/each and will be a choice of 3 meats! Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken, or Smoked Bologna with sides of baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw! Drink and desserts will be provided by us.

We hope everyone comes and gives them a try as we transition to new fundraisers!

‼️ SWAMP JOHNS CANCELED AGAIN ‼️

Yet again we were contacted by Swamp John's Catering and informed they were canceling our fundraiser in September. This being said we are looking to move forward and start looking into new fundraisers as this service has became too unreliable.

Fundraisers are set on a bi-monthly schedule on Saturday afternoons. We provide as much man power as needed, and dining area as well. Preferred to not have overhead as we cannot garuntee what each event will look like.

If you are a catering service or food-truck and are looking to help out a 501C3 Non-profit organization please reach out to us. We are trying to get ahead of the ball before funds deplete. These fundraisers are how we keep the lights on and the building insured where we store equipment. Without them, we cannot function.

We hope everyone is staying cool in this heat, and has a safe weekend!

God Bless,
Kevin Slone, Fire Chief

A fire broke out early on Friday morning, July 21st, at C&B Linen on Andrew Jackson Drive. The call came in shortly after midnight, just as a fierce lightning storm was moving through the area.
Wayne County EMA Director Brian Smith said that the National Weather Service reported a lot of cloud-to-ground lightning at the time of the fire, and that the cause of the fire has been preliminarily declared as a lightning strike.
Firefighters from Waynesboro City, Station 1 (Waynesboro), Station 8 (Eagle Creek), and Station 9 (Ovilla) responded to the fire. The Waynesboro City Police Department was also there to assist.
The new building and all its contents have been declared a total loss. Owner Jason Crews said that he estimates the cost of the loss, including the building and all its contents, is in the millions of dollars. “When we built this new building last year, we tried to include everything possible to mitigate fire damage if the building were to catch on fire. Unfortunately, a direct lightning strike is something that cannot be predicted or stopped.”
Crews said on Friday that they moved into their new building on Andrew Jackson Drive in November of 2022. The facility employs approximately 20 people, and Crews assured us that none of the employees will lose their jobs due to the fire. “Fortunately, we still have some equipment in our old building on South Main Street and in our warehouse on the Highway 64 bypass,” Crews said. “We were actually able to run most of our routes today. We wanted to ensure our hospital customers that their services would continue in spite of the fire.”
“I saw with my own eyes just how hard our volunteer firefighters worked to save my building,” said Crews. “They worked tirelessly for hours to contain the fire and salvage anything they could. Our community should be very proud of these volunteers for their dedication to this very difficult job.”
C&B Linen provides industrial linens to several facilities in Tennessee, along with other states in the southeast. Crews said that the concrete pad the burned building sat on can hopefully be salvaged, and rebuilding can begin soon. He estimated that a new building would take five to six months to be built.

⚠️ATTENTION⚠️

SWAMP JOHNS CANCELED FOR MONTH OF JULY

We were recently informed that Swamp John's would not be providing catering services to us on the scheduled date this month. No explanation other than "we are unable to come" was given. As far as we know the date in September is still confirmed. We will know closer to date on whether that is true or not.

We thank everyone for the support and the overwhelming amount of people asking when the next event is. This is something out of our control, and we are going to be looking ahead in case this happens again for other avenues to be able to keep the lights on.