Hoses, nozzles, hand tools and other equipment declared surplus by Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services will be transferred to a volunteer fire department in Pickens County.
The Cherokee Board of Commissioners recently approved the equipment transfer to the Bethany-Salem Fire Department in Jasper. Bethany-Salem is one of Cherokee’s mutual aid partners, providing assistance as needed to the northern end of the county.
The deal includes 135 lengths of hose ranging from 1.5 to 5 inches in diameter and 25 to 100 feet in length, 15 nozzles, two deck guns, six axes, two pike poles and two ladders, among other gear.
Bethany-Salem Fire Chief Kristy Easterwood had sent a letter requesting the equipment, noting that only about 30 percent of the department’s funding comes from taxpayer dollars and the rest, from donations. “Our department is often tasked with balancing the need to pay facility utility bills with the need to purchase new equipment,” Easterwood said.
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