Public safety remains focus in Lee County

LEESBURG — As public safety continues to be the focus throughout Lee County, many in the community are taking the initiative to recognize the men and women serving in the county’s fire and EMS departments by working to design a monument and teaching tool in their honor.

At Tuesday’s Lee County Commission work session, newly promoted County Co-manager Mike Sistrunk brought the commission up to speed on a project he’s been spearheading as a way of thanking the county’s paramedics and firefighters.

For the past several weeks, Sistrunk has been hunting around auto lots, junkyards and anywhere else he could think of for an old firetruck that could be cleaned up and placed in front of one of the county’s fire stations to commemorate the county’s newly formed Public Safety Department and its employees.

“I had asked around to a couple of places to find a firetruck,” Sistrunk said. “I’ve had this thing in my head for a while to do something to promote public safety here. I wanted to find a truck that the community could fix up, not using county funds, and put it in front of the Century Fire Station as a thank you to all those folks who do so much for us.”

Sistrunk told commissioners he had struck gold recently when he discovered an out-of-service firetruck at a landfill in Tifton. Sistrunk said he reached out to the landfill director, who said the city had been trying to sell the truck for roughly $2,500. The director suggested Sistrunk contact the city’s fire chief, Mike Coleman, to discuss it.

After talking with Coleman, Sistrunk said the Tifton fire chief discussed the idea with Tifton Mayor Julie Smith, and the pair decided they wanted to support their neighbors.

“We had an opportunity from the city of Tifton,” said Sistrunk. “I told them this was something I wanted the community to give back to the public safety employees. They liked the idea, and they gave us a 1990 firetruck that looks pretty nice actually. The pump or something doesn’t work, but it drives nice.

“I was really amazed; the fire chief and the mayor jumped on it immediately. The only thing they asked us for in return is that if we do a dedication for this, they want to be invited. I told them that’s the least we could do for them.”

With the truck now sitting at Lee County Public Works, Sistrunk said employees there are donating some of their time to get the vehicle fixed up and looking nice. County firefighters are lined up to pitch in as well and will be shining up the truck’s chrome and making sure the vehicle is up to their standards.

“That’s one thing about fireman, they’re proud of their equipment and they take care of it,” said Sistrunk. “They’re going to help us get this thing looking good.”

Because it’s a gift to public safety from the community, Sistrunk said he’s also in talks with area businesses to help with the monument. So far, both S&S Concrete and Lee RediMix have agreed to donate labor and materials for creating a pad in front of the fire station, and Sistrunk is in talks with a local lumber company to provide some spotlights and other necessities.

Additionally, Sistrunk said Matrix is designing decals that can be placed on the truck’s doors recognizing the city of Tifton and the businesses and sponsors that made the truck monument a reality. Standard Lee County Fire Department decals will also be placed on the rear sides of the truck.

“It’s going to look really good,” said Sistrunk. “I think it will be something our public safety folks and our community can really be proud of.”

Sistrunk noted that interim Public Safety Director Wesley Wells suggested the truck be outfitted in such a way that firefighters can use it as part of the fire safety training they do with the community each year.

“It won’t just be an inactive truck sitting there,” the county co-manager said. “Wesley has got some great ideas about getting kids to come there and do fire safety stuff. It’s not going to be where they can crank it up and drive it, but where they can play with the lights, play with the horn, and crawl through the truck. It’s going to be safety-proofed where they don’t get injured on it, too.

“What kid doesn’t want to play on a firetruck? I think this is going be the most awesome truck, and we want to thank the city of Tifton for allowing us to have this.”