Hiwassee Dam – Eager to tour the Hiwassee Dam Volunteer Fire Department’s brand-new building, local residents Barbara and Jim Skellett were among the many smiling faces who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday.
While grand opening festivities were postponed due to the COVID-19 surge, a crowd cheered as TL McNabb used a Jaws of Life extraction tool to cut a yellow ribbon in front of the station. The building was dedicated to McNabb and officially named the TL McNabb Hiwassee Dam Fire Station.
During 45 years of service, McNabb has held rank of firefighter, fire chief and board member. The grand opening and open house were rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23.
The station is impressive, as it boasts ample office space, a board room, training room, meeting room and lounge area. It was designed with the capacity to add sleeping quarters and a kitchen.
Ten spacious bays accommodate all trucks and rescue equipment in one spot. It sits halfway up a hill, behind the original fire station on Line Drive, which will continue to be used for maintenance and storage.
Fire chief since 2007, Chad McNabb said residents new to the area may not realize that the 95-square-mile Hiwassee Dam Fire District consists of three volunteer fire departments: TL McNabb Hiwassee Dam Fire Station 20, Station 2 (Wehutty) and Station 1 (Bear Paw).
There is a strong need for more volunteers, he said, especially at the Wehutty and Bear Paw stations. The closer a first responder volunteer lives to a station, the faster the response time to an emergency will be.
If you want to help but are unable to crawl into burning buildings, McNabb said there are lots of other volunteer opportunities. Folks are needed as runners to deliver supplies, handle administrative work, provide public information and help with fundraising.
For details, call the station at 828-644-9032 and leave a message, or email McNabb at chief@hiwasseedamfire.com.
By Tracy Barnes / Staff Correspondent