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Wlaf1450‘We could not do this on our own’- CCRFS Chief Daniel Lawson
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN (WLAF)- A $49,000 Community Facilities Persistent Poverty Grant was announced on Friday afternoon to the Campbell County Rural Fire Service for the purchase of a new brush truck. “This new unit and the other two in this three phase multi-year project help our response time and are good apparatuses for our volunteers. In fact, these three units are what we used in saving those three lake homes from a brush fire last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning,” said Campbell County Rural Fire Service Chief Daniel Lawson.
The CCRFS complied data and utilized National Fire Protection Association 1720 self-assessment form to complete a true needs assessment for the community and response district. Medical response, wild land fires, and rescues were identified as needs for improvement.
“These grant dollars are to help rural areas, where we can, protect assets,” said Patrick Jaynes. This is all part of President Trump’s focus on rural America, according to Jaynes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Tennessee State Director.
The CCFRS is an all volunteer department with more than 30 members who respond to hundreds of emergency events annually; more than 440 in 2025. On Saturday, February 21, members of the CCRFS responded to three calls in a little more than an hour. “When I joined the rural fire service in the late 1990s, we were responding to about 75 calls a year,” said Chief Lawson.
There are five CCRFS Stations across the south side of Campbell County. Station 1 on Fire Rescue Lane near La Follette Middle School is where Friday’s ceremony took place. That’s where Unit 1216 is housed, the third unit purchased in the three phase project that was showcased Friday.
Unit 1216 along with Unit 1215, serving the Pinecrest Station, Station 5, and Unit 1214, at Station 3- Demory/Grantsboro, are almost identical. “They all have wildland fire pumps, are all four-wheel drive units and carry extrication tools,” said Chief Lawson. The other fire stations are located at Valley View, Station 2, and Station 4 is at Victory/Cedar Creek.
Friday marked the completion of phase three of a multi-year project to improve services to their response district. The CCRFS establishes one, three, and five year strategic planning along with a long term 15 year plan. “We could not do this on our own. Grants and Community/Foundation Funding are critical,” said Chief Lawson.
A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.
For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini at ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-03/02/2026-6AM)