VIDEO: Neighbors helping neighbors is the motto of the Calhoun Volunteer Fire Department. Mark Hardin brought that mindset to the table when he started as Fire Chief back in December of 2021.
"There's a sense of pride and community,” Hardin said. “It’s not just one person. It’s all of us.” But when he started, it was a department of just one, with old gear and trucks that didn't run.
“It needed a lot of work,” he said. “Not many of the trucks were in operation. Not many of them ran. Only one ran at the time.”
So, Hardin opened the doors to the community. He posted on Facebook, hosted trainings almost weekly, and grew his department to where it is now – with 28 volunteer firefighters.
The department made repairs to the old trucks and has pride in the work that they do.