Gilmer Fire and Rescue is continuing a popular free fan program this summer.
The program, in which box fans are made available for those who need them, has long been a cooperative project between the local fire and rescue department and Faith, Hope and Charity Recycle Store Inc. FHC purchases the box fans and donates them to Gilmer Fire for distribution.
Fans can be picked up at county fire station 1, 437 Howard Simmons Road, during the regular business hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The fire department requests that only one fan be picked up per family or household unless there is a medical exception.
“We ask that it’s for people who can’t afford them. If it’s for an elderly person or someone who can’t get out, we allow family members to come pick them up,” said Battalion Chief Aaron Freeman.
The summer fan program was started shortly after serious flooding and summer heat across the county in 2014, noted Gilmer EMA Coordinator Al Cash.
“The ground was deeply saturated from several days of standing water, which contributed to very high levels of humidity. That, in turn, drove the heat index up to unbearable conditions for folks with no air conditioning. That’s when Faith, Hope and Charity came to the rescue in donating hundreds of fans through the fire department to help our community stay a little bit cooler,” Cash added.
The fire department has received 54 fans for distribution this year, noted Cash. Approximately 300 fans have been given out locally since the program’s inception.