Surprise Offer from RV Resort Helping Buy Beds for Chiefland Fire Rescue

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

A Chiefland RV resort has come to the rescue of Chiefland firefighters.

Representatives of Sun Resorts & Residences, owner of Southern Leisure RV Resort behind Wal-Mart, offered to pay whatever was necessary to help Chiefland Fire Rescue purchase four heavy-duty recliners for firefighters to sleep on or use for relaxation.

The firefighter-built recliners, weighing about 500 pounds each, will cost the fire department about $3,400. Fire Chief Dwayne King said a community member gave the department a donation and the department held a fundraiser. He has raised $2,300 to buy the recliners.

Two representatives of Southern Leisure RV Resort said they would like to help out by providing the remaining funds to buy the recliners for firefighters. Rebecca Redmond, manager of Southern Leisure, and Rebecca Morrison with the same company made the offer.

They were present at the meeting for another reason but made the offer when they heard the fire chief say he didn’t have enough money raised to buy the recliners.

“Can you come up every night?” joked Commissioner Rollin Hudson.

City Chiefland Commissioners accepted the offer from the RV resort.

Commissioner Norman Weaver brought up the subject of the recliners for the firefighters. He said he happened to walk to the back of the fire department after a firefighter ceremony and found less-than-desirable sleeping accommodations for Chiefland’s firefighters.

“These gentlemen are using beach lounge chairs to recline themselves to sleep. I’d like to see if we could look in the budget and see if we can come up with vinyl-covered recliners so they can sleep,” Weaver said.

Weaver initially asked for $1,500 from the city budget to pay for standard household recliners covered with vinyl, but Fire Chief Dwayne King said standard recliners aren’t sturdy enough to withstand the constant use by firefighters.

King said firefighter-built recliners, weighing about 500 pounds each, are needed. He said he needs four recliners costing $850 each.

“We had a community member come forward and we had a fund-raiser and right now we’re at $2,300,” King said.

Commissioner Lewrissa Johns told City Manager Laura Cain she thought the city had set aside American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the recliners.

“It’s requested. It’s not approved,” Cain responded.

Cities and counties received federal ARPA funds from Congress to assist in recovering from the COVID-19 economic shutdown.

King said the worn-out recliners were not the only problem the fire department faced.

“When we went through our last bedbug infestation, during which the chairs did get infested – that was a long 2 ½ months – we were looking at upgrading and going to what is called a firefighter-built recliner. It’s a 500-pound mechanism,” King said.

Based on the offer from Southern Leisure RV Resort, King will get his four firefighter-built recliners.