BEDFORD — During their Tuesday morning meeting, the Lawrence County Commissioners approved a request from the Lawrence County Health Department to transfer ownership of a surplus, trailer-mounted generator to the Oolitic Volunteer Fire Department (VFD).
The request, detailed in an official health department memorandum dated May 29, 2026, facilitates the permanent transfer of a UL Centurion 15 generator out of county inventory. The equipment was originally purchased by the county back in 2003.
According to Public Health Specialist Mitchel Knapp, the Lawrence County Health Department recently acquired a newer worksite generator to handle its public health emergency operations. This upgrade allowed the older model to be repurposed where it is needed most.
The UL Centurion 15 is currently staged at the Oolitic Volunteer Fire Department under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). It has been utilized to support vital community cooling and warming shelter operations during severe weather events.
Health department officials advocated for the permanent transfer because the Oolitic VFD currently lacks its own dedicated backup power system. Without this generator, a localized power outage would significantly hamper the station’s emergency response capabilities.
The older generator does carry some operational challenges. Charlie Meadows of Meadows Heating and Cooling, who has been contracted to maintain the unit, estimated the current total valuation of the generator and its accompanying trailer to be no more than $1,000.
Furthermore, some original replacement parts for the 2003 model are no longer in production, leaving maintenance crews to rely on a limited aftermarket parts selection.
Despite these limitations, county officials agreed with Knapp that transferring the equipment “in the spirit of community partnership and emergency preparedness” was the best course of action to ensure the Oolitic community remains protected during power failures.
