Hollywood producer not likely to deliver trucks to Ala. fire departments

The Associated Press

 

HARTSELLE, Ala.— A promise that a Hollywood producer would provide new fire trucks for some Alabama municipalities may turn out to be too good to be true.

 

A California designer for one of the leading builders of emergency vehicles in the world said he has no contracts with producer Wayne Heyman-Hanks to build firetrucks for any municipalities in Alabama.

 

"Look, I don't think any of those places are going to get what has been promised to them," Jon Holmes of American LaFrance told The Decatur Daily.

 

Heyman-Hanks promised to give at least one pumper truck to fire departments in Athens, Hartselle, Anniston, Auburn, Boaz, Dothan, Florence and Scottsboro if they complied with National Fire Protection Association recommendations. Heyman-Hanks told fire chiefs that he grew up in Birmingham, and as a youth, lived close to a volunteer fire department.

 

Officials in Hartselle and Athens said they were expecting pumper trucks from Heyman-Hanks in December or January.

 

"We're just thoroughly disappointed," Hartselle Fire Chief Steve Shelton said.

 

Athens Fire Chief Cliff Christopher said he believes he and other fire chiefs in the state now believe the new equipment is probably not coming.

 

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Christopher said. "That's an old saying, but I probably should have gone with my instincts from the beginning."

 

Attempts to reach Heyman-Hanks were unsuccessful. The telephone number he provided officials in Hartselle has been disconnected.

 

"Right now, I'm not designing anything for him," Holmes said. "There has been no purchase, and we have no order from him. I want to say this as simply as I can: No trucks are being built."

 

The city of Anniston had a bigger promise from Heyman-Hanks, according to Fire Chief Bill Fincher. The city was expecting to gain two pumper trucks and a tiller truck.

 

Anniston did not need to hire additional firefighters, but the city would have to construct a station to house the new engines.

 

By April, a red flag went up, Fincher said. "We couldn't get in contact with him, and a trip to California for a roundtable discussion got canceled," Fincher said.

 

Athens and Hartselle had similar problems. "When it came time to go to Los Angeles, I couldn't get in contact with him," Christopher said.