Earlier this year, Coach Riley was accepted into the Moore County Leadership Institute (MCLI) and we promised a monthly recap of each of his new experiences. If you aren’t caught up, click here to learn about this adventure!
This month, Riley and the MCLI team got to explore all things Emergency Services in Southern Pines. After getting to tour the local fire department, and learning all about the ins and outs of how things run and work, Riley was eager to share his findings when returning back to First Tee – Sandhills. Take a moment to hear what he learned and discovered while visiting and learning all about Southern Pines EMS Services.
“We started this week’s MCLI adventure talking with the Town Manager of Southern Pines. Speaking about what it means to be a leader and different roles a leader needs to take on in order to be successful. It was interesting to hear him discuss how regardless of your views as a leader and whether or not you agree with those that you lead, you need to cultivate those individuals and help them grow and improve. One of the key points I resonated with was the way you talk and give feedback to those around you, will dictate what kind of a leader you will be and how individuals will perceive you.”
“He went on to discuss the changes we are seeing in the community, especially from a growth and construction standpoint. What was really interesting is that Southern Pines has been tracking a 2% growth in population per year, and the average age is decreasing, resulting in the lowering of the overall age in the town. This growth is considered healthy as communities want to see growth, but not in an explosive manner that would create new issues in areas, such as housing, jobs, and supplies. Another interesting fact he pointed out was the average value of homes in Southern Pines is actually decreasing, not because houses are becoming less valuable, but because enough affordable housing is available leading to a decrease in the cost of home buying.”
“We then heard from the Assistant Town Manager and Fire Chief who spoke with the group about the evolution of the Fire Department in Southern Pines. He explained how the original group in the early 1900s only had 38 volunteers, with the first fire hydrant being installed in 1910. He went over some interesting statistics including how the highest calls they receive are stove fires with the overwhelming majority caused by cooking tater tots and French fries – America’s two favorite things. We ended at Southern Pines Fire Station 2 where we took a complete tour of the building which was designed in such a way that a fireman could be anywhere in the building and if an alert goes off they could be in the garage and ready to go in their gear within a minute during the day, and within 2 minutes in the evening, if they happened to be sleeping as the alarm sounded. Everything is designed for speed, even the custom doors which are designed to open up in 7 seconds so the Fire Department can depart quickly and efficiently. We concluded the tour with a discussion about the expenses related to running a Fire Department, including materials, turn down gear, and vehicles. All fire trucks are custom designed to fit the need of each specific station. Interestingly enough, the higher the rating your local fire department receives, the lower the cost of house insurance is in the community. While the cost of running a Fire Department is very expensive, the investment ensures community safety and can even lower the cost of living.”
Riley’s next journey through MCLI will be October 16th.