History[]
In 1986, the general membership of the Somerville Volunteer Fire Department voted, for various reasons, to separate from the town and reorganize as a separate entity. Among these, they recognized a large gap in fire coverage in surrounding areas, a “no man’s land” between municipalities. From this, S.A.V.E.S. was chartered in 1987.
Fire Stations[]
| Station | Address | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 High Street | ?-2007 | Owned by the town and used by Somerville VFD prior to split. Leased by SAVES from 1987-2007. Now used by town maintenance department. |
Department Profile[]
Area Served[]
Including its contracted coverage of the town limits of Somerville, the department covers approximately 63 square miles in central Morgan County, and also maintains long standing automatic aid agreements with both the City of Priceville and Town of Falkville.
Line Officers[]
2025
- Chief - Ryan Halbrooks
- Assistant Chief - James Gay
- Battalion Chief St. 1 - Kaleb Benson
- Battalion Chief St. 2 - Josh McDonald
- Battalion Chief St. 3 - Matthew Tunstill
- Battalion Chief EMS - Steven Gay
- Safety Officer - John Stinson
Chief and Assistant Chief serve elected 4-year terms. Battalion Chiefs are appointed by the Chief.
Governance[]
Operating similar to that of a fire district, the governing body of the department is a Board of Directors made up of both department members and members of the community. Board members serve elected 2-year terms.
Communications[]
S.A.V.E.S. is dispatched by the Morgan County Emergency Management Communications District, operating on FIRENET and TAC Channels 5 thru 10, as part of the Morgan County 700MHz P25 Trunked Radio System.
Currently, 23 of the 33 Morgan County agencies on this system operate on FIRENET.
Emergency Medical Services[]
Among the changes made by the new agency, was emergency medical services, a service not previously provided by the town department. At the time, the county ambulance service was based in the City of Hartselle, some 15-20 minutes away. Upon its incorporation, SAVES began providing first responder services, eventually recruiting licensed EMTs.
The years of 2013-2014 were a turbulent time for emergency services in Morgan County. In a span of less than 10 months, two of the county’s four private ambulance services abruptly shut down due to financial instability, thus leading to greater demand and longer response times for ambulances. Seeing this, the department began exploring the possibility of expanding their response capabilities. At the time, 7 of the departments members were licensed above as advanced providers.
In Spring of 2015, S.A.V.E.S. obtained its ALS1 (paramedic, non-transport) license from the Alabama Department of Public Health. Additional advanced providers were added. Eventually, a new EMS service entered the county and response times improved. Then came the pressures of the COVID pandemic and the influx of calls for already busy agencies. Over time, some members moved on, while others retired. Members continued to provide advanced life support services until 2022 when the agency license was allowed to expire, due to increased operating costs and a lack of ALS providers.
In 2025, under new administration and with increasing membership, leaders began discussing possible avenues for once again providing advanced scope of care to the community in the future, as it begins to grow.
Apparatus Roster[]
- All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
- Alabama license plate denoted by AL#.
- Vehicle Identification Number denoted by VIN#
Fire Station 1 - 794 Cut-Off Road[]
Built 2007
- Engine 1 - 2006 Freightliner M2 / American LaFrance Liberty (1250/1000/20F) (VIN#1FVACYDJ07HX13459) (AL#VF2266) (Ex-Engine 2)
- Rescue 1 - 2006 Ford F-550 / Fouts Bros. (200/300) (AL#VF2367)
- Engine 5 - 2012 International DuraStar / KME (1250/2000) (Ex-Engine 1) (Operates as water supply/reserve apparatus only)
Fire Station 2 - 122 Perkins Wood Road, Hartselle[]
Built 1997
- Engine 2 - 2023 Freightliner M2 / Fouts Bros. (1250/1000) (Ex-stock)
- Rescue 2 - 2010 Ford F-550 / ? / NAFECO (200/300)
Fire Station 3 - 4090 East Upper River Road[]
- Engine 3 - 2001 Peterbilt / KME (1250 TM/1000) (2024 FD rehab) (Ex-Priceville Fire Department (Alabama), acquired 2015)
Future Plans[]
Listed based on priority
- Purchase additional (used) engine to replace recently retired reserve engine. "New" truck will possibly replace current Engine 1, moving the 2006 ALF into reserve status.
- Rebuild Station 3. It has been determined that a full rebuild is more feasible than repairs for this station. Plans are complete, awaiting funds.
- New Brush/Medical truck for Station 2. Current Rescue 2 will then move to Station 1, and Rescue 1 to Station 3.
- Renovate and expand Station 2 to accommodate a third apparatus and day time crew quarters.
- Acquire special response/utility vehicle
Retired Apparatus[]
- 2007 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (Donated by Morgan County Sheriff) (Ex-EMS Car 1) (Retired due to catastrophic mechanical failure)
- 2001 GMC C8500 / 1997 Ferrara pumper (1250/1000) (Ex-Service 1, ex-Engine 3) (Sold to Hutchison Station Volunteer Fire Department)
- 1992 KME Renegade pumper (1250 TM/1000) (SN#1298) (VIN#1K9AF4280NN058561) (2024 FD rehab) (Ex-Engine 4, ex-Service 2) (Ex-Priceville Fire Department (Alabama)) (Acquired 2014, retired July 2025 due to mechanical issues, currently listed for sale as of November 2025)
- 199? Ford Econoline walk-in rescue (Ex-Rescue 1) (Ex-ambulance)
- 19?? Chevrolet C50 / E-One mini-pumper (Ex-Rescue 3, ex-Rescue 1) (Sold to local church for disaster relief use)
- 19?? Chevrolet C50 / E-One mini-pumper (Ex-Rescue 2)
- 1986 Mack CF600 / Saulsbury pumper (1250/1000) (Ex-Talleyville Fire Company) (Ex-Engine 2, ex-Engine 1)
- 1983 Chevrolet 4x4 / FD-built utility body brush (Ex-Brush 3)
- 198? Ford C pumper
- 198? Ford C wet rescue
- 1974 Mack R611 pumper (1000/500) (1 of only 61 produced) (Ex-South Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company) (Sold to private collector)
Somerville VFD[]
Town-owned apparatus prior to split