Giving new life to a community and a medic unit that has already served so many. That's exactly what members of the Hampstead Volunteer Fire Company, and the Hampstead community did.
On Monday, March 16th members of HVFD delivered their 2010 Ford medic unit, Medic 28, to The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The organization is a federally recognized Native American Tribe with over 15,000 members located in Cherokee, North Carolina.
“The unit will serve multiple purposes with its new lease on life. The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians has been trying to find a solution to provide transport to local and regional hospitals and other medical facilities without having to take a front-line unit out of service to do so," said Gerard Ball, North Carolina Department of Commerce and the coordinator for this donation.
Ball also says the unit will be used to help Veterans, "This unit will also serve to transport our Veterans from Cherokee to the Charles George VA Medical Center located in Asheville NC, about an hour and a half away. As a US Army Veteran 1996-2004 This one will be very special for me”.
Hampstead Volunteer Fire Chief Troy Hipsley says the fire company has supported other local initiatives but is thrilled to make a direct connection to North Carolina and assist members of a community that are in need by providing this donation.
An anonymous donor family in the community facilitated the logistics and the donation of the medic unit.
Medic 28, which has served Hampstead well, will continue its mission by providing lifesaving medical transport to those most in need.
