John Coffelt, Editor

Christmas food donations and toys expected to be a total loss

The Coffee County Rescue Squad sustained significant damage when a fire ripped through the building on the morning of Monday, Dec. 4, destroying both equipment and Christmas donations.

The fire damaged much of the building located on the Murfreesboro Highway, and at least two vehicles and an unknown amount of equipment were also destroyed.

“It for sure got one truck – probably two trucks, gone. We’re not sure on the boats yet,” Chief Neal Simmons said the morning after the blaze.

Simmons said that he suspects a battery in one of the squad’s trucks exploded and set a fire that spread through the structure at about 7:58 p.m. Monday. Manchester Fire and Rescue Responded and battled the blaze into the night. 

Despite the fire, Coffee County Rescue was still functioning. Early Tuesday after the fire a crew responded to evacuate an injured hunter who had fallen from a tree stand in the county.

“We’ll still be available once we get everything up and running,” Simmons said. “(That crew) has a Chevrolet truck they’ve gone out in.”

“We’ll still be able to help out in the county,” he added.

Simmons said the biggest issue the Coffee County Rescue Squad is currently facing is trying to help the Gene Taylor-Steve Graves Christmas Foundation. The foundation lost a significant amount of both food and toy donations, which had been stored at the Rescue Squad’s building since last Saturday.

“We have 137 kids signed up so we have to make sure that happens,” he said.

Steve Graves, founder of the food and toy drive, said he believes the main thing is to try to get the Rescue Squad back up.

“These people save lives,” Graves said.

Graves said there is still money in the foundation account to try to take care of those in need.

“We’re going to endure and go further,” Graves said. “I think we can do what we need to do.”

Foundation volunteer Larry Floyd said the distribution dates had been planned for Dec. 15-16.

“I say we had a half a tractor trailer full of toys,” he said.

The foundation had held several toy drives, plus multiple bass tournaments that collected toys and Coffee County Raider Academy and Middle School have also made food and toy donations.

Floyd said for families in need that the drive intends to help, the foundation can offer vouchers for families to use to purchase food items.

Food baskets are hand filled for each family based on the number of members, he said.

“A family of two or three, usually gets a few things…sometimes a family of eight, you almost get more than you can carry in a box,” Floyd said. “We want to make sure everybody has something to eat during the holiday season.”

The Gene Taylor-Steve Graves Foundation has a nearly 30 year history in Manchester and Coffee County.

“The bad thing is you get your system going then something like this happens,” Floyd said.

The Coffee County Rescue Squad is celebrating 60 years of serving not only Coffee County, but also provides mutual aid across the state this year.

Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny, who worked closely with the squad for years and helped secure state of the art sonar equipment during his time as a state representative ­­­­–  called the squad one of the most capable and diverse operations for emergency responses in Tennessee.

“Throughout my years in politics I have seen the Coffee County Rescue squad grow and expand its capabilities significantly,” he said.

Matheny called the volunteers “literally front line responders to major disasters all over Tennessee due to their broad capabilities in areas such as swift-water rescue, diving and recovery, search and rescue in all weather and terrains, as well as accident and disaster response of all kinds.  The State of Tennessee as well as our county depends heavily on them.” 

Matheny said this fire will impact security in the entire county.

“I am confident that under the very capable leadership of Neal Simmons and his all-volunteer staff, we as a community will bounce back quickly,” Matheny said.  

The mayor has reached out to state officials to begin working on ways to help. 

“My thoughts and prayers are with Neal and his rescue squad family as they deal with this tragedy and the fire that consumed so many thousands of hours of their volunteer work.  My administration will do whatever it takes to not only make them whole but even stronger,” he said.

Those wanting to help can donate to the squad at www.coffeecountyrescuesquad.org/donate.  The Gene Taylor and Steve Graves Christmas Foundation can be reached at geneandstevefoundation@gmail.com.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.