WHAT OUR ELKMONT FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH

Our volunteer fire department is wonderful.  The fire fighters train, work and give of their time to help keep our Elkmont community safe.  They were called to backup the Oak Grove fire department for a possible trailer fire.  There was heavy smoke and little fire at the scene. This was not your "good citizens home" as it was reported to be a possible meth house.  That changed the whole ballgame for the firefighters since now they had to shift into a different mode due to the toxic chemicals and all that could be in there. After the flames and smoke cleared, meth materials could be seen that the Elkmont volunteers had learned about in their drug training courses. Elkmont had 3 trucks and 13 people to respond.

The presence of Meth drugs at a fire makes the situation worse for fire fighters. These labs can explode when our firefighters go in. The toxic fumes from these fires can kill our brave volunteers, just as easily as the possible explosions  This time of year seems to bring on an increase in these kind of fires. Please pray for your fire fighters and the EMTs because they do this because they love it and their community of Elkmont. It takes a different kind of person to get out when its 20 degrees outside and 2 am to fight a fire or help people at a wreck.

Limestone County Sheriff's Report

On 11/12/2013, Deputy Nick Daniel was on routine patrol when he noticed a house trailer on fire at 26827 Clem Rd. Deputy Daniel pulled into the driveway and noticed a male, later identified as Randall Swafford Jr., pulling his mother, Debra Palvik out of the residence. Deputy Daniel went to assist and as he approached the residence he could smell the odor of a meth lab. After both Swafford and Palvik were clear of the residence and safe Deputy Daniel began to investigate and discovered a "one pot" meth lab burning in the front yard. He then asked Swafford if there was a meth lab inside the residence and he stated that he didn't know. Deputy Daniel performed a pat down of Swafford and found a bundle of coffee filters in Swafford's back pocket. Deputy Daniel contacted Narcotics Investigator Lt. Josh McLaughlin about his findings. 

When Lt McLaughlin arrived he and Daniel checked the rest of the property and found a plastic bag containing several meth precursors. McLaughlin spoke with the firefighters on scene and they advised that there appeared to be a meth lab in the bedroom of the residence. After the house was safe to enter McLaughlin and Daniel went inside and located a meth lab, several more precursors, and drug paraphernalia in the room where the fire started. Swafford was placed into custody and arrested for unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.