Latest news with #DecaturFire&Rescue
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Special needs community has a blast at Point Mallard water park
Jun. 7—Michael Musacchia was pumped Friday after going down one of the giant slides at Point Mallard water park in Decatur. He made the journey with one of his caretakers from the R&R Group Home. He was among well over 200 people who turned out for the second annual Special Needs Summer Celebration hosted by Decatur Fire & Rescue, said Lt. Brandon Sivley. Last year's event drew about 60, he said. The event, which consisted of lunch and then water park fun, was from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. under clear skies and a scorching hot sun, though a rainstorm came through later in the afternoon. Michael Wrangler, also a member of the group home, had his eye on the diving boards after having a good lunch. "We're just here to have fun," he said. "We ate lunch with a mermaid, but I didn't get my picture with her." Alexis Mason, a caretaker with R&R Group Home, said they were at Point Mallard Friday because it was a special day for special needs caretakers and clients. "It was free admission to the park and free lunch," she said. "They offered hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, sodas and water." Mason enjoys being caretaker. "I love that they love me and they know the love I show for them is real," she said. "Some of them don't have their parents or anybody, so the caretakers are the people they look forward to seeing every day." It takes a special person to be a caretaker, she said. "It takes a lot of patience," said Mason, who has been a caretaker since 2022. "But with the right type of heart, you'll get it done. These are like your second kids. I treat them like my babies." Decatur Fire & Rescue began the annual summer celebration after hearing that some of the special needs clients in the community didn't have enough activities to attend throughout the year, Sivley said. Firefighters made calls for sponsors and now the effort has grown into celebrations on Halloween, Christmas and summer, he said. He thanked Point Mallard for allowing them to host the celebration. Texas Roadhouse volunteered to cook 300 donated hamburgers and 120 donated hotdogs for the event. Walmart donated about $1,000 to cover the meals. Other sponsors included Pepsi of Decatur, Hubbard & Drake and Gillespie Cabinets. Sivley enjoys the annual event. "I just like getting the handshakes and the hugs and the smiles — they are an awesome community." — or 256-340-2361
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Recovery mission continues Thursday for man who jumped from Hudson Memorial Bridge
May 2—A man jumped off the Hudson Memorial Bridge on Wednesday evening, according to Decatur police, and the Morgan County Rescue Squad confirmed Thursday the search had become a recovery mission as they sought to find his body. Decatur police spokeswoman Irene Cardenas-Martinez said officers responded about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after a report that an individual had jumped from the Hudson Memorial Bridge. Decatur police, the Morgan County Rescue Squad, and Decatur Fire & Rescue arrived shortly after the call came in. Rescue squads from surrounding counties also searched for much of the night, resumed their search at daybreak Thursday and as of Thursday evening had not found the body. On Thursday morning, the search from a staging area at Ingalls Harbor included the Athens-Limestone Rescue Squad, Childersburg Rescue Squad, Huntsville-Madison County Rescue Squad, Morgan County Emergency Management Agency and Christian Aid Ministry from Vanleer, Tennessee. Morgan County Rescue Squad Capt. Ben Davis remained on scene Thursday as four divers from the Huntsville-Madison County Rescue Squad prepared to search the cold backwaters of Wheeler Lake. Davis said the individual was an older white man wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. He said the man had driven a white Ford truck to the bridge alone before exiting the vehicle and a witness told him he jumped headfirst into the water, which is about 30 feet deep at that point. "We had a team go out earlier this morning with side-scan sonar and a device called AquaEye, which helps identify objects underwater," Davis said. "They've had several positive hits in the same area where he went in. We're going to do another sweep to confirm those hits." Davis said based on witness accounts and the nature of the jump, the search has now become a recovery mission, as it is assumed the man did not survive. He added that crews do not believe the body had drifted far from the point of entry, but cold-water temperatures are likely preventing it from surfacing. "Usually, when someone doesn't resurface, even with strong currents, they sink and stay in the same area until body gases begin forming and causes them to float," Davis said. "With colder water, that process slows down because the body doesn't swell as quickly." Davis said sonar equipment is helping speed up the search. "Sonar gives us a detailed map of the river bottom, and you can actually make out the outline if there is a body," he said. — or 256-340-2442.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brandon Sivley named 2025 Firefighter of the Year
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Decatur Fire & Rescue announced that one of its own was named as the 2025 Firefighter of the Year. On Saturday, Decatur Fire & Rescue announced Lieutenant Brandon Sivley as the recipient of the 2025 Firefighter of the Year award. The department said Sivley serves as a Deputy Fire Marshal for DFR. In the news release sent out announcing Sivley as the recipient of the award, DFR said he is well-regarded for his 'unwavering advocacy for Decatur Fire & Rescue and the City of Decatur.' DFR said Sivley began his career with the City of Decatur on Jan. 24, 2011, as a firefighter. He has since grown his career, being promoted to Driver-Engineer in Nov. 2019 and later to Lieutenant in Jan. 2022. In his current role within the Fire Marshal's Division, DFR said Sivley is responsible for a variety of tasks, including fire investigations, plan reviews, site visits, life safety inspections and code enforcement. Sivley was honored at the annual American Legion Post 15 Community Awards Ceremony on the evening of Friday, March 14, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
