POWERGRAMS

6 recalls asking his then-4-year-old son about joining the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department. "Gaither said, 'That would be fun, daddy,'" Moman said, chuckling in remembrance. "That's how I got started. It was a blast then, and I still enjoy it." Moman and one of his best friends, Plant Farley Refueling Manager Mark Kelley, joined the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) the same day, and are senior captains. Farley Emergency Preparedness Specialist John Perkins serves alongside Moman and Kelley in the Ashford Fire Department while Instrumentation and Controls Mechanic Jonathan Nall is assistant chief in the Cowarts Volunteer Fire Department. Throughout the years, Moman and the Ashford VFD have worked hundreds of car wrecks, which spurred him to obtain an emergency medical technician (EMT) license in 1996. He now averages 20 to 25 hours a month training and responding to incidents. "Going to wrecks and handling other situations, you want to know how to help people," said Moman, who spent 13 years in the EMT role. "It went a long way, because I was there to treat people in all kinds of emergencies. You never know when you'll need that knowledge. You train enough to where things become second nature." Moman and his fellow fi refi ghters average eight hours a month in training and help instruct younger fi refi ghters. Ashford's 25-member team meets every other week to train on apparatus operation, hazardous materials, extraction and other fi re-related emergencies. "Training is one of the most important aspects of the fi re service. For instance, you never know how a person is going to react with lights and sirens blaring," Moman said. While some months are busier than others, Moman said seasonal fi res aren't unexpected. "If it's real dry, we'll have a lot of grass fi res," he said. "The fi rst cold spells of the winter bring more house fi res from overloaded extension cords and portable heaters." A er serving more than 20 years, Moman is proud that his sons followed in his footsteps. Gaither Moman, 28, volunteers at Pike Road Fire Department in Montgomery County, and Parker Moman, 24, serves at Ashford with his dad. "It's a good feeling to see their willingness to help others," Moman said. INSPIRED BY HIS FATHER, CATON HELPS CLANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT Fighting fi res is nothing new to Trae Caton. The longtime volunteer has served the Clanton Fire Department, helps the Chilton County Emergency Management Agency and was the assistant chief at Cedar Grove Fire Department. Caton was inspired by his father, who volunteered at the Clanton Fire Department. "To serve as a member of Clanton Fire Department, you must be a state licensed EMT and certifi ed as a fi refi ghter through Alabama Fire College," said Caton, regulatory compliance analyst for Fleet Services. "I followed in my dad's footsteps for more than 10 years." Caton will never forget News Year's Day 2018, when a fuel tanker crashed and overturned on Interstate 65. "The trucker fell asleep and crashed in the median," he said. "Developing a plan to mitigate that situation and call in the proper resources was hairy." Caton called for assistance from multiple Chilton County fi re departments, along with Calera and Clanton fi re departments. He coordinated with hazardous materials teams to a end during removal of 8,000 gallons of gasoline. The fuel had to be pumped out so the truck could be towed. Fuel tanker crashed on Interstate 85. Caton followed in his dad's footsteps, volunteering at the Clanton Fire Department. PHOTO BY TRAE CATON PHOTO BY TRAE CATON

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