By Staff
Nathan Strickland
PHIL CAMPBELL- The Phil Campbell Rescue Squad Foundation is performing their own extreme makeover home edition, installing two new houses to accommodate two primary volunteer rescue squad members.
Licensed paramedic Melissa Mohr and EMT Barbra King have been working calls voluntarily 24/7 in Phil Campbell for over 11 years and are humbled the rescue squad has taken the time to build them a house to stay in while working.
There are a total of 18 volunteer rescue squad members, but King and Mohr are the only primary volunteer members who are on-call all day, every day.
Phil Campbell Rescue Squad president Barry Pounders said both King and Mohr are a big asset to the squad and deserve to reside in the homes.
Pounders said King and Mohr living in the houses would benefit the community by shaving at least five minutes off of their response time.
Mohr’s house will have an added-on garage to store the squad’s ambulance vehicle. The garage will be fully covered and have outlets to plug the ambulance in to keep their medication kits at a certain temperature during the winter months.
The two-house project has been funded by eight years of saving and private donations from customers King and Mohr have helped through the years.
King and Mohr believe it’s an honor that the squad would do this for their sake.
The rescue squad foundation owns the two homes and believes it is fitting for King and Mohr to move into them as long as they resume their responsibilities as full-time members of the volunteer rescue squad.
Once King and Mohr step away from their current duties at the rescue squad, the homes will go to the next two volunteers who take the reins as primary volunteer rescue squad members.
The original rescue squad building will still be host to the other volunteers and will serve as a storage place for supplies.
King and Mohr said the other volunteers from the rescue squad are welcome to stay at their house anytime, “but they will have to cook dinner,” Mohr said jokingly.