Volunteer firefighters and Sheriff’s Department Chaplains were honored Thursday night at the Pike County Courthouse by Sheriff Russell Thomas and the rest of his department.

On hand for the ceremony were Chief Justice Roy Moore, Rep. Alan Boothe, Sen. Jimmy Holley, Pike County Coroner Jerry Williams, and Pike County Revenue Commissioner Curtis Blair.

Each official shared what he thought these volunteers meant to the community. “We truly and sincerely appreciate all the work you volunteers do for us,” Sheriff Thomas said. “Volunteer firefighters have the most special calling. You have love, concern and compassion for your fellow man, and you do the work for no pay. We can never say enough about what you mean to our county for what you do.”

Chief Justice Moore echoed Thomas’s words. “There is no higher calling than to help your fellow man,” Moore said. “The Bible talks about it. Jesus talks about it. And that is what you volunteers do. They help their communities. It is a great honor to swear you in.”

Rep. Boothe also thanked the volunteers for their service. “I want to stand here and thank you for the service you give our communities,” Boothe said. “You have to have a servant’s attitude to do service. We appreciate you going and helping your fellow man. It is comforting to us sleeping in our beds at night that you are out their doing your job. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you. I will continue to work for you in the Legislature.”

Sen. Holley shared his colleagues’ opinions. “Thank you for your service,” Holley said. “You protect our families and our properties. What you have is a great calling, a great charge.”

Williams took time to personally thank the volunteers that he had worked closely with during his time as coroner. “When we see one another, it is always during a difficult situation,” Williams said. “I sincerely appreciate the kindness you show to me in these situations. It is a wonderful feeling to live in Pike County because you know that people will help you in a difficult situation.”

Blair said he would do his best to support the volunteers through his role as Revenue Commissioner. “I appreciate all the service that you give to the community,” Blair said. “I support you all the way, and I will do what I can to show you that support.”

Thomas said that his duties as sheriff often result in him seeing the volunteers at accidents around the community. “We’ve worked scenes together where people have lost their lives,” Thomas said. “I’ve seen you cut people out of cars. On the bigger highways, there is a chance you might get run over. There are a lot of unseen dangers to your job.”

Chief Justice Moore swore in the members of the various volunteer fire departments in Pike County. He also swore in the chaplains who volunteer for the Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff’s Department has 13 volunteer chaplains. The volunteer chaplain program began in 2006.

Thomas invited everyone to the devotional held by the Sheriff’s Department. “We have a devotional meeting every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the courthouse,” Thomas said. “We almost always deal with the negative aspects of the county, so we need some positives like our devotional meeting.”