Photo by Jon Anderson
220125_Fire_Station11_29
A Hoover Fire Department rescue unit sits inside a bay at Hoover Fire Station No. 11 in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.
Jefferson County recently provided the Hoover Fire Department with a new rescue vehicle, and city officials took time Monday night to thank county officials for their support.
Hoover fire Chief Clay Bentley said the new vehicle will help Hoover provide medical rescue service and emergency medical transportation not only in Hoover, but also in unincorporated areas. This particular vehicle, which is valued at more than $250,000, will be based at Hoover Fire Station No. 5 in Bluff Park, which helps serve the unincorporated Shannon community.
The vehicle should arrive in about six weeks, Bentley said.
The Fire Department is in the process of replenishing its rescue unit fleet. Two other new units were added in September and December, and yet another one is expected around March, Bentley said in December.
Bentley and Mayor Frank Brocato on Monday night thanked Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens and his chief of staff, Chris Willis, for the county’s contribution.
“We couldn’t operate very efficiently if we didn’t have great partners like the Jefferson County Commission,” Brocato said. “We’re grateful for all you do for our city. I never have a conversation that doesn’t conclude with ‘How can we help you?’”
Bentley said Hoover is just one of numerous fire departments to which the Jefferson County Commission has donated rescue vehicles.
Stephens said he has always considered Hoover his second home and said he was honored to work with a group of elected officials and city employees with as much class and character as those in Hoover have.
1 of 2
Photo by Jon Anderson
Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens speaks during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.
2 of 2
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, second from left, presents a proclamation of appreciation to Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens for a rescue vehicle the county donated to the Hoover Fire Department, during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. At left is Hoover fire Chief Clay Bentley, and at right is Stephens' chief of staff, Chris Willis.
The Hoover City Council also on Monday night voted to dispose of 17 vehicles as surplus, including two Fire Department ladder trucks, a pumper truck and a rescue truck that were no longer deemed needed in Hoover.
The two ladder trucks were built in 1999 and 2008, while the pumper truck was built in 1995, and the surplus rescue unit was built in 2005.
The vehicles are slated to be donated to other fire departments in the state that may be able to get some extended use out of them, Bentley said.
The other vehicles declared as surplus included five Chevrolet Tahoes built in 2011 to 2016, three Harley-Davidson motorcycles from 2011 to 2015, two Dodge Chargers (2011 and 2014), a Dodge Avenger (2012), a Jeep Liberty (2004) and a Polaris Sporstman four-wheeler (2006).
Some of the vehicles are high mileage or have high engine usage (public safety vehicles often are left idling for extended periods of time), while two were wrecked and deemed a total loss and two have bad engines, city records show. Three of the vehicles were vehicles that had been seized by the Police Department.
Other items and equipment deemed as surplus included a generator, old fire equipment, office chairs and furniture, kitchen equipment and a dance floor from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, a mobile basketball goal, fence material from Riverchase Sports Park and furniture and equipment from the Hoover Public Library.
In other business Monday, the Hoover City Council:
- Heard a plea from residents of the Scout Creek and Chestnut Ridge communities in Trace Crossings for city leaders to give a developer permission to share his plans for helping clean up and protect lakes in Trace Crossings from sediment erosion from nearby construction sites.
- Reappointed Roger Varner to the city’s Personnel Review Board through Feb. 28, 2027.
- Recognized the Hoover High School Air Force Junior ROTC for numerous accomplishments, including: placing third nationally last spring in the unarmed color guard drill at the 2023 Air Force JROTC Open Drill Nationals in Dayton, Ohio; placing first place this year in the Paul Bryant Stampede Invitational in Tuscaloosa and the Rocket City Commander’s Cup in Huntsville.
- Recognized Miss Hoover Abbie Stockard, who will be competing in Miss Alabama in July, and Miss Hoover’s Teen Ali Mims, who will be competing in Miss Alabama’s Teen in March.
- Heard a report from Liz Harrison of the Grace Klein Community nonprofit that the group last year fed about 450,000 people with 2.2 million meals and distributed more than 234,000 food boxes. The Grace Klein community specializes in collecting leftover food from restaurants and other food providers and distributing it to people without access to enough food, but the nonprofit also provides other forms of help to the poor, disadvantaged and underprivileged.
1 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Miss Hoover's Teen 2024 Ali Mims is recognized at a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.
2 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato presents a proclamation to Miss Hoover's Teen 2024 Ali Mims during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. At right is Miss Hoover 2024 Abbie Stockard.
3 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Miss Hoover 2024 Abbie Stockard speaks at a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.
See the video of Monday night's Hoover City Council meeting on The Hoover Channel YouTube page.
