Planters EMC readies firefighters for big blaze

From left, third-generation volunteer firefighter Chesley Johnson, his father and South Jenkins VFD chief Rayburn Johnson and Danny Bennett were involved in developing the South Jenkins VFD after seeing a need where they live in a rural portion of the county. (Photo contributed)

It's hard to douse a fire without water.

Even so, the men at the South Jenkins Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) have been forced to chance such a scenario ever since the station was established two years ago.

Fortunately, a grant from Planters Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) is about to quench the department's thirst for more water at fire sites. With a check for nearly $2,500 from Planters EMC's Operation Round Up program, the unit has purchased a 2,100-gallon, portable tank that will supply the water they need.

The tank, which is set up at fire sites, will give the men a place to dump large amounts of water that can then be pumped through their hoses to battle a blaze.

"It's like having a fire hydrant," the station's board president Danny Bennett said, explaining that water can be continuously trucked in to refill the tank.

Before now, the young station had to extinguish flames with only the water they could carry on their 750-gallon tanker truck.

"We would just bring the water in the truck, and if we ran out, we ran out," Bennett said.

He noted that the extra water afforded by the new tank will be especially critical when the station is called to a building fire.

"We've been lucky so far. We haven't had that many structure fires," he said, referencing instead a number of grass and wood fires.

But he knows that it's just a matter of time until they are called to a burning house or other large blaze. When they are, the new tank could mean the difference between dousing the flames and hopelessly watching the structure burn. Bennett said he's thankful to Planters EMC for the funds to buy the equipment for his station.

Members of Planters EMC provide the money for Operation Round Up projects by rounding their electric bills up to the nearest dollar. The difference is given back to the community through grants to local organizations. Most recently, grants were also awarded to the Jenkins County High School Career Student Association for students to attend the organization's state conference and to the school's baseball team for batting cages.

Non-profit organizations in Burke, Jenkins and Screven counties may apply for the grants, which are paid out every three months. Applications for the next round of grants are now being accepted and must be turned in by Friday, April 11.

For more information, visit www.plantersemc.com or call 478-982-4722.