Clayton Volunteer Fire Department Donates Over $7,700 In Equipment

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The Clayton Volunteer Fire Department this week donated some firefighting equipment to Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services.

Clayton Volunteer Fire Chief Kenneth Payne said the organization donated equipment worth $7,748.46 to the county fire department.

Cherokee County Fire Chief Tim Prather said he was grateful for the donation. Cherokee fire received a BlitzFire HE package, which is a portable monitor with a vertical range of 10 to 86 degrees above horizontal. It flows up to 500gpm of water.

Also purchased and donated were a 4.5” to 5” hydrant adapter, tools mounts, a 2.5” gate valve, a hydrant assist valve, jumbo spanners and a flat headed axe.

In March 2012, the volunteer department donated $20,000 to Cherokee County to go towards the purchase of a new set of Holmatro extrication tools for Fire Station 6 in the Clayton community.

The volunteer department also donated $70,000 in December of that same year for the chassis that helped in the manufacturing of Water Tender #6.

“Most of this money was proceeds from the sale of the old fire station on Lower Burris Road when the new Station 6 was constructed,” Payne said. “The remainder was from donations received by the Clayton VFD for operating expenses. Our intention was always for this money to go back into the fire service for the protection of the citizens of Clayton Community and Cherokee County.”

In recent years, the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department has become inactive. Its recent donation came from money remaining in their bank account and the volunteer department wanted to contribute it back to the community for fire protection.

The presentation of the tools was held at the J. H. Payne Fire Station (Station 6) in the Clayton Community. Payne, who served as assistant volunteer fire chief for Station 6 from 1981 to May 1984, became chief in 1984 and served in that position until his death in December 2009.

Payne was also a founding member of the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department and was the father of Kenneth Payne.

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Photo: Attending the donation presentation were (kneeling - left to right) Keith Berryman and Josh Warren and (standing - left to right) were Shane Bedwell, Cherokee County Fire Chief, Tim Prather, Kenneth Payne, Battalion Chief, Gary Vaughan and Capt. Ryan McElwee. Credit: Tim Cavender/Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.