It was time for a little head scratching by Chief Brent Sherrer when an engine wouldn’t start during Monday night’s fire drill — “It has to be the battery!” Facing the camera are Paul Wright and Rodney Shedd, assistant chief; and Boyce Hall (right). It is interesting to learn the Rayle Volunteer Fire Department receives the most individual support from two Callaway women, both widowed — Mrs. Eugene Callaway, Avola; and Mrs. Herbert Callaway. Catherine.

“These two ladies have been faithful in their support of the fire department through the years, and we appreciate it,” Chief Brent Sherrer says.

“Yep. It’s the battery.” (A new one was purchased the next day.) Most Wilkes Countians share pride in the fire departments scattered throughout the county, knowing firemen are ready to give their best efforts in saving life and property. It is good that we seldom hear of them, since they make the news only in times of rescue or loss during fire-related happenings, which usually result in loss in some way.

Wanting to say “Thank you!” to all, I attended a couple of Monday night meetings of the Rayle Fire Department. These are held regularly at seven in the evening at the fire house at Rayle City Hall. This is the department which serves my area of the county, and they do not train in air-conditioned comfort; it was hot! (You already know this is not an exact, technical piece, just this old writer’s way of bragging on a great bunch of volunteers.)

Treasurer Boyce Hall and Chief Brent Sherrer (l-r), senior firefighters with the Rayle Fire Department, look forward to having newlytrained, young firemen working with them in the Rayle Volunteer Fire Department. Brent Sherrer, fire chief “since 1997-98 this go-round,” is quick to say that whenever there is a fire in the Rayle community, or anywhere in the county, and the call is made to 911 there will be at least two departments responding . . . often more.

The fire trucks of the Rayle Fire Department have been checked out and are ready to carry volunteer firefighters to the next fire. “Our territories are laid out, but whenever there is a fire, everybody helps. The Washington Fire Department dispatches a truck to every fire in the county.

“The county bought a fire truck which is stationed in Washington and gives the Washington department so much a year so that rural communities get three firemen, whenever needed; and if the fire warrants, more trucks and firemen are there.”

Tim Wright stands beside the Wilkes County Fire Service Tanker 7. That is good to know, as is the fact that the county is full of people with First Responder training. Several firemen of the Rayle Fire Department have had the training.

Husband and wife — Tommy and Pat James are currently the only active First Responders in the Rayle area. They live down the road from me, as does a registered nurse. Also, there are all of those well-trained Rayle firemen. I’m glad, and I’m sure my neighbors all about Rayle are also glad to know they are there, if needed.

Some of the dedicated Rayle volunteer firemen who meet twice monthly to make sure they, and the equipment, are ready when called on to protect life and property threatened by fire are: (l-r) Boyce Hall, Kenneth Byrd, Rodney Shedd, Paul Wright, and Brent Sherrer. All of the firemen know CPR, and they know how to operate an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), which all of the fire departments, police department, and some businesses have — 22 in all, thanks to Wilkes County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) director, Blake Thompson, who worked so hard to get them placed throughout the county. Rayle got one of the first — in 1998.

Chief of the Rayle Fire Department is a retired paramedic. Brent retired from the Oglethorpe County EMS, where he was director. Before that he was a firefighter with the Athens Clarke County Fire Department for six years.

Rayle firemen know they are to meet at the fire station at seven every first and third Monday of each month. Due to various causes, those meeting are few in number at times, but those present make sure everything is done.

They average seeing seven or eight of the dozen, or so, firemen (as of last week, 13) at the meetings — sometimes as few as three. Those who are there on meeting nights check all of the trucks, the equipment, making sure everything is ready to go on the next call. They crank the equipment, from trucks to chainsaws. If necessary, they clean up from the last call and put stuff where it belongs. Usually that’s done when trucks are returned to the station after a fire.

They have to have eight hours of training a month. Chief Sherrer says Chief Alan Poss of the Washington Fire Department is very good about letting any of the rural volunteer firemen go to Washington and train with them. (Brent had lots of good things to say about Alan.)

This is easier for those with children in sports and for those who coach. Jobs, baseball, softball, deer hunting, and children’s sports may take individuals away from the regular Monday night meetings. But all have their training and are ready when needed to battle a blaze.

Chiefs of the 10, including Washington, fire departments in the county meet quarterly in the county commissioners’ office. Decisions are made as to how best to spend the available funds, what department needs what, etc. The county has an annual fire budget, and they try to stay within it.

Rayle Fire Department has recently received two turn-out suits from the county, which helps the county fire departments in various ways. These suits are $1000.00 each, and Rayle’s fire chief says they can probably use two more.

You know, without reading, that Sam Moore is chairman of the county commissioners, Marshall Sherrer, Donna Hardy, Divenski Lee, and Jerry Stover. Norman Echols is mayor of Rayle with council members, Martha Hall, Tracy Armour, and JoAnn Perez.

The Rayle Fire Department receives additional funds from the City of Rayle, from the Rayle Lunch and Learn Club, from area churches, and from supportive individuals. All contributions to their operating fund are appreciated.

Four of the younger, and newer, Rayle firemen are currently in school at the Washington Fire Department. Justin Armour, Kevin Shelton, Brian Mathews, and Richard Heard are being well trained (June-September) for their work as firemen. Kevin and Justin have been with the Rayle volunteers for two years. Richard and Brian are newer. Newest fireman is Kenneth Byrd, who joined the department last week.

Other Rayle firemen are: Brent Sherrer, chief; Rodney Shedd, assistant chief; Greg Armour, lieutenant; Boyce Hall, treasurer; Mark Justice, Daryl Shedd, Tommy Wheatley, Paul Wright; and Pat James and Tommy James, who are First Responders only.

Everybody has to have basic training in handling hazardous materials; and they know what to do if there’s an accident involving hazardous material — “Identify; evaluate; seal it; call a Haz-mat team.” (I believe they said the closest one of those is in Gwinnett.) Boyce had training at the multi-purpose center in Washington this past spring.

When the Rayle firemen have to answer a fire call during a bad storm — summer or winter, night or day, some of them are already on the job. They are restoring electric power and telephone service, and clearing county roads. Brian Mathews and Richard Heard work for Wilkes Telephone Company. Boyce Hall, Greg Armour, and Paul Wright work for Rayle EMC, and Tommy Wheatley works for Wilkes County in road maintenance.

Justin Armour is single and works in Lexington at Georgia Poultry Equipment. Kevin Shelton works at Sherrer’s Store in Rayle and is married to Brent’s daughter, Jennifer. Brian Mathews’ wife is LeAnn. Richard and Lou Heard are parents of Mattie. Boyce and Pam Hall’s children are Lindley and Avery. Mark and Roxanne Justice’s children are Nicholas and Ryen. Mark is a paramedic with Wilkes County EMS.

Greg and Angela Armour are parents of Samantha, Cody, and Hunter. Laura is Daryl Shedd’s wife. Daryl works at Pure Service Station. Rodney and Betsie Shedd have three children, Mil, Matt, and Morgan. Rodney is owner of Pure Service Station in Washington.

Brent Sherrer is a newlywed. He and his wife, Deana, are in the process of moving a new home to their Rayle homesite. Tommy and Gloria Wheatley have two sons, Richard McAvoy and Chris McAvoy; and two granddaughters — Richard and Lisa’s Amy and Taylor McAvoy. (At one time Gloria was a firefighter, the only female in the department.) Newest fireman Kenneth Byrd and his wife, Maria, have a daughter, Brittany. Kenneth works for Direct TV. (If anyone is left out, blame the writer, not the men of the department.)

Brent believes the Rayle Fire Department was organized in 1966, with his dad, Marshall Sherrer, as chief. “They had one truck, an old forestry truck that’s long gone. The county bought us a brand new Fire Knocker in 1975. We now have Engine 7, a 1997 1250-gallon-aminute pumper; Engine 17, a 1000gallon-a-minute pumper. Tanker 7, which holds 1800 gallons of water and is always full. The City of Rayle owns one truck, the other two belong to the county.

“We carry a full line of fire equipment, plus — air packs, 1800 feet of two and a half inch hose, 800 feet of one and three fourth inch hose, ladders, nozzles, breathing apparatus, chainsaws, axes, generators, flood lights, and AED — everything needed to fight a fire.”

Boyce and Brent are senior members of the department and are glad to have younger men being trained. “We need new ones. The older ones are about ready for assistance. It takes a pretty good bit of a person’s time. People willing to devote time and effort make or break a department.”

We’re all glad they have those willing people!

Greg speaks of “the camaraderie of being with friends,” then laughs and adds, “When they show up!”

Rayle firemen always show up for a fire, if they are not out of town, and that’s the important thing. Members of the community are thankful they are there, as all communities are in regard to their volunteers.

The last fire they had to fight, as of this writing, was a hog barn on the Richardson Road. Five firefighters from Rayle, along with those from Washington, worked to put that one out on a stormy evening. (Brent says he wasn’t available for that one. He was helping to celebrate his new bride’s birthday. He was excused.)

The biggest and hardest to fight was the fire at Kettle Creek Manor, the multi-storied home of Diana Blackburn. Rayle, Tyrone and Washington Fire departments responded to that 911 call, a few years back, and worked hard to extinguish the fire while striving to do as little damage as possible to the contents of the home.

We are so thankful that they respond to all calls. We always hope we never need them but are so glad to have them well-equipped and well-trained.

Let’s all support the Rayle Fire Department — all fire departments — just as Catherine and Avola are so faithful in doing.

Thank you, Rayle firemen and generous supporters of the fire department!

(I also need to thank them for their patience with this old writer, who appeared at the first meeting with two cameras which did not work — batteries were dead in both!)