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December 2, 2009

‘Instrumental’

Longtime volunteer fire dept. supporter Euell Hodge dies at 80

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — For Hanceville Fire Chief Alan Bolling, Euell Hodge is the reason Cullman County has such a strong foundation of volunteer fire departments.

“Without him, the fire departments of Cullman County would not be nearly as advanced as they are,” he said. “He’s the reason we have the things we have in this county. He was very instrumental in getting training and communications systems.”

Hodge, 80, died Tuesday after spending much of his life working with local fire departments and serving as president of the Cullman County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments. He was instrumental in establishing the Cullman County Volunteer Fire Association, which consists of 26 volunteer departments and more than 50 stations with 800 volunteers. The Cullman County Firefighter Training Center was dedicated to Hodge in 2007.

Though he was a trailblazer for fire protection in the area, Bolling said Hodge was also a great man.

“He would just do anything in the world for you,” he said. “He was such a great person.”

Baileyton volunteer fire chief Joe Golden said Hodge’s passing is a tremendous loss.

“He worked to benefit for the whole county, looking out for the county’s welfare,” he said. “He brought us a long way.”

Hodge’s vision will live on with a construction project set to break ground soon, Golden said.

“He was instrumental in getting the funding to build a classroom we’re fixing to start on,” he said. “He won’t get to see it realized, but everyone will benefit from it.”

David Scott, chief of the Good Hope volunteer fire department, said Hodge would be greatly missed.

“Just all of the departments are going to miss him,” he said. “He put his own time in, going to Montgomery and trying to get grants and get bills passed for us. You just can’t replace a man like that, as dedicated as he was.”

Vinemont Providence volunteer fire chief Mike Graves said Hodge was driven to support the local fire departments.

“Euell Hodge was a good man and he was relentless in improving fire service in Cullman County,” he said. “He worked with every department in Cullman County. I’m sure his efforts will be missed.”

Cullman County coroner Gary Murphree said Hodge showed an amazing dedication when he worked with him at accident scenes.

“He was a hard worker and a dedicated volunteer,” he said.

Cullman Fire Rescue training officer Mike Hackney said Hodge spent a great deal of his life dedicated to fire service.

“He was instrumental,” he said. “The fire fighters of Cullman County will feel the loss.”

Hodge was a lifelong member of the Alabama Association of Volunteer Firefighters (AAFV), the Cullman County E 9-1-1 Board of Commissioners and the Alabama Forestry Association.

In 2001, he received the Ray Tucker Memorial award for outstanding leadership and dedication while serving on the Rural Community Fire Protection Steering Committee for the Alabama Forestry Commission.

Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. a full obituary will be in an upcoming edition of The Cullman Times.



* Tiffany Green contributed to this story.



* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

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