CHILDERSBURG, Ala. – The Childersburg Fire Department (CFD) has been hard at work serving the community, but as of late there has been a greater need with a lesser means for ambulance and EMS teams.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an uptick of ambulance usage has been present for the Childersburg Fire Department. Finding a solution for the short-staffed first responders has been an ongoing priority ever since.
To combat the problem, the CFD has hired multiple new staff members to work up to five days a week during what Lt. Major Abernathy calls “peak volume hours” from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
“The city really stepped up and allowed us to add a supplemental ALS (Advanced Life Support) unit,” said Abernathy. “It is staffed with a paramedic and a EMT basic. That’s really helped us a lot.”
The CFD covers multiple cities throughout the area taking emergency calls from Sylacauga, Fayetteville, and Harpersville. Currently there are only 16 full-time employees stationed at the department.
“If you like helping people, being active, and you don’t like sitting behind a desk all day, then this is a pretty cool field to go into,” Abernathy remarked. “You can really make a difference in people’s lives.”
