As summer temperatures rise, a long running partnership between Gilmer Fire and Rescue and Faith, Hope and Charity Recycle Store Inc. will again provide free box fans for those in need.
“We ask that it’s for people who can’t afford them and we allot two (fans) per household. If it’s for an elderly person or someone who can’t get out, we do allow family members to come pick them up,” said Gilmer Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Aaron Freeman.
The fan program first started shortly after flooding in 2014, said Gilmer Fire 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,” he added.
Cheryl Worley, FHC board chairman, said the local community outreach nonprofit purchases the box fans and Gilmer Fire is responsible for getting them into homes where the need is the greatest. County fire station 1 at 437 Howard Simmons Road serves as the program’s distribution point.
“It’s a great partnership, and I hope we can continue it for many years to come,” Worley said.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, anyone needing to pick up a fan should call ahead before coming to the fire station.
“We prefer they come during our business hours and we ask that people call ahead now,” confirmed Freeman. “They need to call and schedule a time they can come and we will set the fans outside for them.”
For more details or to schedule a time to pick up a fan, call fire station 1 at 706-635-1333 between the normal business hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
In addition to the free fan effort, Gilmer Fire and Rescue and Faith, Hope and Charity previously partnered for a free smoke detector program and it’s hoped that a new program for distributing carbon monoxide detectors will begin later this year, Freeman noted.