Hickerson Station Volunteer Fire Chief Paul
Hogan has been with the department since it was built 24 years ago.
Hickerson Station unit stems from vehicle fire
It was a simple car fire on a country road back in 1977 that prompted rural residents of Coffee County between Tullahoma and Manchester to get together and work on building a fire department.A volunteer fire department in Summitville was closest to the scene of that car fire, and people took uncomfortable notice of the time it took for them to get there. Community meetings were held at Hickerson Elementary School; area residents Owen and Winnell Pittenger donated a stretch of land on Old Manchester Highway, and the first Hickerson Station Volunteer Department fire hall was built. More than 20 years later, through continued community efforts and support, Hickerson Station No. 2 was added behind Jones Elementary School in Coffee County.From the very beginning, community service and support have been what the Hickerson Station Volunteer Fire Department is all about, Fire Chief Paul Hogan says. "We thank the community for their support," he said. "Without them, we wouldn't be anything. This department, this fire hall, belongs to them. "It's common for homecomings, family reunions and wedding receptions to be held at the Hickerson Fire Station.Twenty men volunteer as firefighters on the Hickerson department, covering a wide area of Coffee County that reaches to the edge of the Manchester and Tullahoma city limits, and includes the Coffee County portion of Normandy. Like most volunteer departments, the budget is tight and the equipment does the job but is nothing fancy. The annual allotment of $26,000 from the county budget is hardly enough to pay the volunteer department's building, vehicle and liability insurance, or cover fuel and electricity costs, according to Chief Hogan. The rest of revenue needed for department operations must come from the firefighters themselves through fundraisers.
In July, about 1,200 people gathered at the hall for a taste of some of the finest barbecue around, personally prepared by Hickerson volunteer firefighters as one of their biggest yearly fund-raisers. This year's barbecue brought in between $5,000-$6,000, Hogan said."We're in the process of updating equipment and our protective gear now. Some of our trucks are pretty old. We have a 1974 pumper and our tanker is a 1982 or 1984 model. We're also in the process of getting another tanker truck for Station No. 2 which, used, would cost between $20,000 and $60,000. A new tanker would cost over $120,000," he said.The Hickerson department currently utilizes two pumper trucks and one tanker at Station No. 1, and a pumper and one mini pumper at Station No. 2.Updating the equipment would improve the fire department's State ISO (Insurance Services Organization) rating, which at 9 is the lowest quality rating issued by state inspectors. "We're in the process of trying to improve (the ISO rating). It'll take a lot of hard work, long hours and the updating of equipment...If someone in the community wanted to donate some money toward the purchase of new equipment it'd be greatly appreciated," Chief Hogan said. The firefighters, after all, are donating their time. They monitor emergency radios at home and constantly carry pagers. "You almost have to be crazy to do it - get up at all hours of the night, in the cold, the rain, the snow, whatever. You put everything into it and don't get anything back. But once it gets in your blood, it's hard to get it out,' Hogan said. "All of our firefighters are on call 24 hours a day if their jobs let them. And we have an automatic mutual aid agreement with three other volunteer departments - Hillsboro, New Union and Summitville. "If one of us has a structure fire, we automatically roll; we don't need to be called. And Coffee County Ambulance Service rolls with us on every structure fire. "We all work together. If the city departments call and need us, we go to them; and they're very nice about helping us if we need them. We enjoy the good working relationship we have with the city departments," Hogan said. And of course, Hogan says, firefighters do more than just fight fires. "We save the county a lot of tax money and man hours. We help in the community, like in the ice storm awhile back, we were out cutting trees out of the road and things like that. Firefighting is not all we do," he said. Volunteer firefighters are also required to participate in monthly training programs, according to Hogan. And the Hickerson department has been lucky, with no reports of major injuries, he added.Hogan, who has been the Hickerson Volunteer Fire Chief since the department originated in 1977, is also a farmer and holds a full-time job as a Coffee County Circuit Court officer. He says he'll continue to be a volunteer firefighter as long as he is able, thanks to the fact that his children are grown and his wife is supportive."Lots of times she doesn't even know I'm gone (to a fire during the night) until I'm back. She helps out with all the fund-raisers and stuff," Hogan said."Anytime you're called out it's scary. Every fire is not the same, you never know what's going to happen...Coffee County is pretty well covered as far as fire protection goes. We are always there, always ready," Chief Hogan said.Fire equipment donation means 'a heck of a lot'
By:BRIAN JUSTICE, Staff Writer May 20, 2003
In a kind gesture to extend a helping mutual aid hand, the Tullahoma Fire Department gave nine self-contained breathing units Friday to Hickerson Station. Hickerson Station Fire Chief Paul Hogan said the contribution was most welcome to the rural Coffee County volunteer fire department.His crews have only three breathing units. Now with the additional nine, they'll have a dozen."We really appreciate it," Hogan said, referring to the donation. "This means a heck of a lot to us."Tullahoma Fire Chief C.B. Watkins said the donation was the least his department could do to help out a fellow fire-fighting branch."We have a good working relationship with them," he said, referring to Hickerson Station. "It's one of the best in the county."He referred to previous fire fighting situations and other emergencies where the two departments have worked together."If they call us, we go," Watkins said. "If we call them, they go. It's as simple as that and it works out well."What made the donation possible was that the Tullahoma department recently received much-needed new emergency breathing equipment.The Board of Mayor and Aldermen had approved to fund $10,530 as the city's share of a $105,165 total to buy 45 self-contained breathing units.The Fire Department had received $94,770 in grant money to go toward the purchase from 10-33 Equipment Inc., based in Cave City, Ky.As a mutual aid gesture, the department decided to give the nine older breathing units to Hickerson Station.Fire Capt. Richard Shasteen had said the 45 new units will be the same with interchangeable parts, leading to greater dependability."There will be enough of them for every member of the Fire Department to have their own unit," Shasteen said.Information provided from 10-33 Equipment says the new units are Viking Digital self-contained breathing apparatuses.They feature a digital console control, which monitors cylinder pressure and provides a voice amplification system.The control console also relays information to an in-mask light display to let equipment users know vital information.Shasteen said the units would ensure maximum protection in emergency situations firemen routinely encounter.
