Hoover Fire Department updates its rescue unit fleet

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The Hoover Fire Department is updating its rescue unit fleet and on Monday night showed off two of its new additions at a Hoover City Council meeting.

The Fire Department added a replacement rescue unit at Fire Station No. 8 in Greystone on Friday, Chief Clay Bentley said. Another replacement unit was added at Station No. 11 in Trace Crossings about three months ago, he said.

A third replacement unit is expected around March and likely will go to Station No. 4 on Municipal Drive, he said.

Each of the units costs about $250,000, and orders for rescue units are so backlogged that it takes about 1½ years to get one once you order it, Bentley said.

The Hoover Fire Department has four rescue units staffed every day and two additional rescue units that are “cross-staffed” by personnel allocated to fire engines, the chief said. The rescue units are stocked with equipment for advanced medical care and can transport people to hospitals immediately.

The Hoover Fire Department no longer uses ambulance services, Bentley said. Regional Paramedical Services quit serving the Hoover area about two years ago, so now all patients are taken to emergency rooms by either a Hoover rescue unit or, when needed, a rescue unit from a nearby agency such as the North Shelby, Rocky Ridge or Cahaba Valley fire departments, he said.

The new rescue units were desperately needed and will be put to good use, Bentley told the Hoover City Council Monday night.

The City Council also on Monday approved a contract with Shelby County for Hoover to provide emergency medical transport services in Shelby County. Hoover has about 23 square miles of land in Shelby County and provides automatic aid to other nearby areas as needed, Bentley said.

Shelby County pays Hoover $1,000 per square mile of service area, which amounts to $22,450 for fiscal 2024. That money helps the Hoover Fire Department restock its rescue units with fuel and supplies, Bentley said. This is the third year Hoover has had such an agreement with Shelby County, he said.

In other business Monday night, the Hoover City Council:

  • Approved an agreement for Alabama Power to provide service to a new traffic signal about to go in service on Patton Chapel Road at the exits for Gwin Elementary School and Simmons Middle School. That traffic light is expected to go in service at the beginning of 2024 and will be flashing for seven days before that, City Engineer Chris Reeves said.
  • Agreed to pay ClasTran $19,974 to provide public transportation for elderly and disabled Hoover residents.
  • Agreed to pay Meals on Wheels $10,000 to provide meals for Hoover senior citizens who qualify for the service.
  • Approved a contract for Cintas to provide uniforms for Hoover’s public works, park maintenance and building services employees.
  • Authorized the Birmingham Water Works to install seven new fire hydrants in the Everlee community.
  • Gave consent for development incentives the city is providing HealthCare Resources to redevelop parts of the Riverchase Office Park to be used as collateral for a loan the company is taking out to do development work. Read more about those development incentives here.
  • Honored Dorothy Blom, the mother of former Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato presented Blom with a key to the city and proclamation about her community service and contributions the years.

See the video of Monday night's Hoover City Council meeting on The Hoover Channel's YouTube page.