Southside Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad
About Us
IT ALL STARTED AT A MEETING OF CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR FIRE PROTECTION
IN SOUTH UNICOI COUNTY AT THE OLD BIG HAT RESTAURANT ON JACKSON LOVE
AVE IN JANUARY OF 1976. ON FEBRUARY 10TH 1976 THE GROUP OF CONCERNED
CITIZENS FORMED AND WAS INCORPORATED AS SOUTH UNICOI VOLUNTEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT AND WAS UNDERSIGNED BY THE STATE AS A CHARTERED FIRE
DEPARTMENT 30 DAYS LATER.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALLY OPENED THEIR DOORS IN
OCTOBER OF 1976 ACROSS FROM THE BIG HAT RESTAURANT IN AN OLD SERVICE
STATION. WITH THE HELP OF THE TOWN OF ERWIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH AN
OLD OPEN CAB ENGINE AND A RETIRED DUCE-N-A-HALF ARMY TANKER THEY
WERE READY TO ANSWER THE CALL FOR HELP.
WITHIN A YEAR IT WAS EVIDENT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE
NAME HAD TO BE CHANGED.
IT SEAMED THAT EVERY TIME THERE WAS A CALL FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THE
RADIOS WERE FLOODED WITH QUESTIONS OF IF THE SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT
WAS DISPATCHING UNICOI FIRE DEPARTMENT OR SOUTH UNICOI FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS WHEN SOUTH UNICOI FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS KNOWN TO BE SOUTH SIDE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
A GRANT ALSO ALLOWED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE INTO A NEW FIRE
STATION AT THE CORNER OF CAROLINA AND JACKSON LOVE.
IN AUG OF 1978 SOUTH SIDE OBTAINED AN OLD VACANT BUILDING IN
ERNESTVILLE AND OPENED STATION-2.
THIS BUILDING WAS ACQUIRED FROM THE STATE HWY DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS
USED AS AN OLD SALT SHACK.
IN JUNE OF 1993 SOUTH SIDE BUILT AND OPENED STATION-3 IN FLAG POND
BESIDE THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE ON OLD 19/23.
ALL THREE OF THESE FIRE STATIONS ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.
SINCE THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT IN 1976, WE HAVE GROWN
FROM RESPONDING TO ONLY 90 FIRE CALLS A YEAR TO 800 CALLS FOR
ASSISTANCE COMPRISING OF RESPONDING TO FIRES, CAR ACCIDENTS,
RESCUES (INCLUDING: VEHICLE EXTRICATION, BUILDING COLASPE/TRENCH
RESCUE, URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE, FLOOD/SWIFT WATER, WATER BODY
RECOVERY, DIVE RESCUE, HIGH ANGLE RESCUE ), HAZ-MAT RESPONSE AND
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS.
IN SOUTH UNICOI COUNTY AT THE OLD BIG HAT RESTAURANT ON JACKSON LOVE
AVE IN JANUARY OF 1976. ON FEBRUARY 10TH 1976 THE GROUP OF CONCERNED
CITIZENS FORMED AND WAS INCORPORATED AS SOUTH UNICOI VOLUNTEER FIRE
DEPARTMENT AND WAS UNDERSIGNED BY THE STATE AS A CHARTERED FIRE
DEPARTMENT 30 DAYS LATER.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALLY OPENED THEIR DOORS IN
OCTOBER OF 1976 ACROSS FROM THE BIG HAT RESTAURANT IN AN OLD SERVICE
STATION. WITH THE HELP OF THE TOWN OF ERWIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH AN
OLD OPEN CAB ENGINE AND A RETIRED DUCE-N-A-HALF ARMY TANKER THEY
WERE READY TO ANSWER THE CALL FOR HELP.
WITHIN A YEAR IT WAS EVIDENT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT THE
NAME HAD TO BE CHANGED.
IT SEAMED THAT EVERY TIME THERE WAS A CALL FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THE
RADIOS WERE FLOODED WITH QUESTIONS OF IF THE SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT
WAS DISPATCHING UNICOI FIRE DEPARTMENT OR SOUTH UNICOI FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS WHEN SOUTH UNICOI FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS KNOWN TO BE SOUTH SIDE
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
A GRANT ALSO ALLOWED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MOVE INTO A NEW FIRE
STATION AT THE CORNER OF CAROLINA AND JACKSON LOVE.
IN AUG OF 1978 SOUTH SIDE OBTAINED AN OLD VACANT BUILDING IN
ERNESTVILLE AND OPENED STATION-2.
THIS BUILDING WAS ACQUIRED FROM THE STATE HWY DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS
USED AS AN OLD SALT SHACK.
IN JUNE OF 1993 SOUTH SIDE BUILT AND OPENED STATION-3 IN FLAG POND
BESIDE THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE ON OLD 19/23.
ALL THREE OF THESE FIRE STATIONS ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.
SINCE THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT IN 1976, WE HAVE GROWN
FROM RESPONDING TO ONLY 90 FIRE CALLS A YEAR TO 800 CALLS FOR
ASSISTANCE COMPRISING OF RESPONDING TO FIRES, CAR ACCIDENTS,
RESCUES (INCLUDING: VEHICLE EXTRICATION, BUILDING COLASPE/TRENCH
RESCUE, URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE, FLOOD/SWIFT WATER, WATER BODY
RECOVERY, DIVE RESCUE, HIGH ANGLE RESCUE ), HAZ-MAT RESPONSE AND
EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS.
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Our current Membership:
Chief Howard Townsend
Assistant Chief John Hilemon
Capt. Adam Blankenship
Capt. Willie Higgins
Capt. Jim Hady
Lt. Ken Cawthorne
Lt. Jerry Reeves
MSgt. Lee Hoe
Chaplin Jim Banner
Chaplin Brad Hughes
Jimmy Banner
Terry Broyles
Brian Townsend
Stephen Wilson
Kevin Runion
TJ Metcalf
Anthony Gregg
Mikey Steffy
Tim Whorton
Brandon Laurghen
Matt Beloat
Chief Howard Townsend
Assistant Chief John Hilemon
Capt. Adam Blankenship
Capt. Willie Higgins
Capt. Jim Hady
Lt. Ken Cawthorne
Lt. Jerry Reeves
MSgt. Lee Hoe
Chaplin Jim Banner
Chaplin Brad Hughes
Jimmy Banner
Terry Broyles
Brian Townsend
Stephen Wilson
Kevin Runion
TJ Metcalf
Anthony Gregg
Mikey Steffy
Tim Whorton
Brandon Laurghen
Matt Beloat