Jacksonville Fire Department Receives Grant and Welcomes New Fire Marshal

Jacksonville, AL – At the last city council meeting the City of Jacksonville announced that the Jacksonville Fire Department had received a grant from Fire House Subs. The city’s public information officer, Ben Nunnally, shared that a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation will buy the city updated, heavy-duty extrication equipment that will make it safer and faster to help people in emergency situations where they’ve been trapped by debris or in vehicles.

The Grant is part of more than $69 million given by Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to public safety organizations across the U.S. With summer in full swing, the Jacksonville Fire Department is prepared to keep Jacksonville safe thanks to a grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The Foundation recognized our need for new lifesaving equipment and awarded the department $34,215 for waterproof extrication equipment.

“We are extremely grateful to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and our local Firehouse Subs in Oxford for providing us with this grant,” said Jacksonville fire Chief Keith Kadle. “This funding will allow us to provide even greater support to the citizens of Jacksonville during emergency situations.” The extrication equipment will be used to make emergency extrications from vehicles and structures faster, simpler and safer for Jacksonville residents and fire department staff.

For the past 16 years, donations have been the driving force behind Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation® supporting first responders and public safety organizations nationwide. To learn more about Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation or donate directly, visitFirehouseSubsFoundation.org.

Rodney Ball Jacksonville's New Fire Marshal — Rodney Ball Jacksonville’s New Fire Marshal

The city of Jacksonville also welcomes a new Fire Marshal. The city announced that they are, “proud to announce our new fire marshal, Rodney Ball, has officially begun his work with the Jacksonville Fire Department!”

They went on the state that Ball comes to us with more than three decades of experience as a fire marshal, serving in the role for six years in Oxford and 24 years in Anniston before that. He has lived in Jacksonville 17 years, so taking the position with the Jacksonville Fire Department will let him serve his local community, where his wife, Lesara, and son, 15-year-old Braden, live. “It’s great to be close to home,” Ball said Monday. “My son goes to Jacksonville High School; I live next to (city councilman) Andy Green … I’m glad to be here.”

Ball said this job comes with a range of responsibilities: Enforcing life safety codes in building design, investigating fire scenes, teaching elementary kids about safety plans and the elderly about trip hazards — and a half million other tasks, too. He said he’s bringing some of the programs he developed in Oxford to Jacksonville, like working with teens on safe driving decisions and heading out into the community to sign people up for the department and State of Alabama’s free smoke alarm program, “Get Alarmed Alabama.”

He’s also excited to work with small businesses, especially those developing their fire safety plans. Big box stores don’t have the same concerns about expenses that mom and pop shops might — sprinkler systems, for instance, aren’t cheap — but Ball’s experience allows him to work with business owners to develop safe, affordable plans. “I love seeing them reach their dreams,” Ball said. “That really gives me a good feeling.”

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