Fire department sells t-shirts to restore flooded fire engine as monument

HINDMAN, Ky. (WYMT) - The Hindman Volunteer Fire Department lost one of their fire engines in the late July floods.

Chief Preston Hays said the truck has a long history with the department.

“It’s fought a lot of fires. It’s been here for a long time. It’s near and dear to everybody,” he said. “To see the truck in the shape that it’s in right now, it’s devastating. Especially to a lot of people that came before us that’s still around that’s had to see it everyday.”

Former Secretary Treasurer James Slone worked with the department for 37 years. He said he wrote the check to purchase this engine, and it put out many fires in the community. Slone said he was heartbroken when he found out it was destroyed.

“Made me cry. Broke my heart. I mean there’s a lot of people that got hurt a lot worse than the fire department did I’m sure, and I know there were lives lost and stuff like that, and I wish I could change all that but I can’t,” said Slone. “But yeah, it took the wind out of me when I saw it tore up and under the bridge like this.”

He hopes when the engine is restored it will be turned into a positive moving-monument for the community.

“We would like to possibly get some funding to bear a plaque with all of the victims from Knott County or the flood all together, put it on the truck, and take it to parades,” said Slone. “I mean it’s a big image that come out of the flood and we would like to take that and put it in a positive way instead of a negative way.”

Chief Hays said the t-shirts they are selling cost $25 and have an image of the truck on the front with the words, “this does KNOTT define us”.

If you would like to purchase the shirt or make a donation, you can PayPal- hindmanvol328@gmail.com or send money to the station at P.O. Box 299 Hindman, KY 41822.

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