New London firefighters
serve community
Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Graham Hadley
Jim Landrum, chief of the New London Fire Department, glanced at the pancake order handed to him on a small piece of paper. He smiled, poured some batter onto the hot griddle, and plopped some plump blueberries on top of the mix. “Coming right up,” he said. “Have a seat, and we’ll get it right to you.”
Made-to-order pancakes and omelets are just a few of the offerings at the community-wide breakfasts hosted twice a month by Landrum and his crew of volunteer firefighters. There’s also applewood bacon, sausage links and patties, eggs cooked to order, grits, hash browns, biscuits and gravy. For a donation of $8 a head for all you can eat, it’s a deal that makes you look forward to getting out of bed.
At least twice a month, the firefighters put down their gear and pick up their spatulas. The tools may change on Saturday mornings, but the dedicated volunteers are still doing what they’ve always done best: serving their community. The 22-member department, however, serves up much more than a great meal at a good price. They also provide their neighbors with security, protection and peace of mind.
“They’re good people,” Candi Childers said after enjoying a recent breakfast. “They do a lot of nice things for the community, and we try to support them whenever we can. They take good care of us.”
Percy and Sharon Jennings can attest to that. A few weeks before Christmas, a shed at their lake house went up in flames, and the responders managed to put it out just before it consumed their nearby home. “We had hired someone to burn leaves, and they’d put them out that afternoon, but about five hours later, the fire started up again,” Percy Jennings said. “Next thing we knew, the world was on fire.”
The Jennings’ daughter and son-in-law were at the house at the time and tried to battle the flames with fire extinguishers, but that proved impossible once the gas in the lawnmower ignited. “They were there within three minutes,” Sharon Jennings said. “That’s what saved our house. How do you thank them for something like?”
Pancakes with a purpose
Enjoying a plate (or two) of breakfast is a good way to start. The department receives $3 a month per household from the New London Water Authority, but the money raised at the breakfasts goes right back into the community. The firefighters have paid funeral expenses for struggling neighbors, helped provide Christmas gifts and given gift cards to help fire victims meet their immediate needs.
Mostly, though, the income allows them to purchase equipment to help them do their job more effectively. “It’s expensive to run a fire department,” Landrum said. “A nozzle to fight a fire is $600, and radios run about $700. We’re looking at buying our own air fill machine for air packs, and that’s $40,000. Turnout gear is $2,000 a firefighter, and we have to replace hoses and other equipment. We try to be as modern as we can on voluntary donations.”
They’ve come a long way in recent years, Landrum said. The department, which has three stations, boasts four full-size pumpers. The Water Authority is providing a fifth pumper truck in February, at which time one of the older pumpers will only be used to carry extra water and air packs. The department also has a brush truck for wood fires, as well as a fire and rescue boat. “We’ve got a first-class fire department now,” Landrum said, adding that each house in the district is within five miles of a station.
Like the residents of the New London community in Cropwell, most folks in Alabama rely on their neighbors in emergency situations. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, an entity of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Alabama has 806 registered fire departments. Of those, 89 percent are completely or mostly volunteer, while the rest are totally or primarily staffed by career firefighters.
The New London crew, which provides fire protection, safety education and rescue services, participates in training twice a week. On Tuesday evenings, they focus on firefighting techniques and safety. Weekends are devoted to rescue skills, such as cutting people out of cars and lifting patients properly. “I’m so proud of this fire department,” Landrum said. “These guys put a lot of time and effort into this, and they don’t get a nickel.”
Neighbors helping neighbors
Landrum, who grew up in Birmingham and had a demanding career in Atlanta, came to Logan Martin Lake most weekends before he and his wife, Ilene, moved to the lake full-time about 11 years ago. He joined the fire department the same way most of the volunteers do – after being recruited by a friend – and has served as chief for three years.
Brad Hicks came on board about two years ago after calling the fire department himself. “About a month after I moved into my house, I smelled what I thought was an electrical fire. They showed up on a snowy day less than five minutes after I called,” he said. It turns out his electrical box shorted out, which they discovered with a thermal imaging camera. Before leaving, the firefighters asked him if he wanted to be part of the team.
“I had a hard time saying no,” Hicks said. “How could you not want to be a part of a group of good people who do so much for the community? These folks are a family.”
Much like other families, they enjoy eating together so the breakfasts are a perfect fit. Landrum, who fondly remembers enjoying the community-wide breakfasts held in the 1980s and 1990s, proposed the idea of bringing them back several years ago. They have been a tremendous hit, often drawing diners from Birmingham, Anniston and other communities. The breakfasts are typically held the first and third Saturdays of each month from 7-10 a.m., although the firefighters took some time off for the holidays and often host more breakfasts during the spring and summer months.
“One year, we did it every Saturday during the summer – that was brutal,” Landrum said with a laugh. “It’s turned into quite an event, though. It has grown and grown and grown. The community loves it, and we love doing it.”
Short order cooks
The breakfasts draw crowds of about 120-150 people. The crew arrives about 5 a.m. to begin preparing since diners arrive with big appetites. Each event requires 45-60 pounds of bacon, 6-8 pounds of sausage patties that are donated by Royal Foods, 4-5 pounds of link sausage and 12-14 dozen eggs. Landrum, who typically mans the griddle, estimates he makes about 150 plate-sized pancakes, which can be ordered plain or with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas or any combination of the toppings. About 60-80 omelets are made each time with any combination of bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, tomatoes, onions, peppers, jalapeño, salsa and sour cream.
“We look forward to breakfast here,” said Glenn Barton, of Lincoln. He and his wife, Debra, meet Barton’s sister and brother-in-law, Sarah and Doug Robinson, at the events most weeks. The Robinsons, who live in Moody, have a weekend place at the lake and love to catch up with family and friends while enjoying a good meal.
That’s a draw for many of the diners. One recent Saturday, the seats were full, and a line of about 20 people had formed about 8:30. Conversation was in full swing and hugs were in abundance as folks greeted neighbors and family members they hadn’t seen in a while. “We meet somebody new every time we come,” Childers said. “The people are what makes this nice. You get to socialize, and the money goes to what is needed.”
If that’s not reason enough to get out bed, there’s always Barton’s philosophy. “It’s a special occasion,” he said with a grin. “It’s Saturday, and there’s bacon.”
