Small Town, Big Heart: Belvidere Volunteer Fire Dept. Hosts Fish Fry
- Terri Carter
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
On the surface, Belvidere is a small, quiet community, tucked away in Franklin County between Winchester and Huntland. But when it comes to supporting their own, they know how to show up, loudly.
For over twenty years, the Belvidere Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry has proudly been a staple in the Franklin County community, having attendees travel from not only local areas, but from surrounding states, as well. And the event only seems to grow in numbers with each passing year.
Coming around only twice a year, the fish fry serves as an opportunity for the fire department to raise funds for operational and equipment costs. The first fish fry was held in the fall of 2003 at the Belvidere Fire Hall. Quickly realizing that there was not enough space at the department to accommodate the event, they moved it to the neighboring Community Center where it has been held ever since. The fish fry events have seen close to 1,500 attendees showing up in support of the department.
With more food than one can fathom, volunteers and community members prepare approximately 700 pounds of fish, barbeque chicken, hushpuppies, chicken tenders, French fries, coleslaw, and desserts. Acknowledging that the event is only possible through a collaborative effort, Linford Miller, who has been the Fire Chief at Belvidere since 2013, stated how much he appreciated everyone stepping up to make the fish fry a community success.
“There is so much that happens behind the scenes.”, stated Miller. “There are a lot of community people that support the department just by making a dessert for the day."
The Belvidere Volunteer Fire Department has on average between seven and eight volunteer firefighters and a Board of Directors. Proceeds from the fish fry events are put towards operational and equipment costs.
“There are always needs for a volunteer fire department.”, said Miller. “As a small department, there’s always needs. We try to buy turnout gear for the fireman. A set of turnout gear typically lasts about ten years. There is an expiration date on it. We were buying for ten firemen at one point. The cost for one set of turnout gear is roughly $3,700. So, when you have to buy five or six of those, it gets expensive.”
Miller stated that most of their big equipment, like the fire trucks, are usually purchased with grant funds while fundraiser proceeds are used for the smaller, less expensive purchases.
The call volume for the Belvidere Volunteer Fire Department varies, typically ranging around five to six calls a month. The department also serves as automatic mutual aid, assisting the other surrounding fire departments on fire calls, when needed.
The Belvidere coverage area also includes an expansive stretch of the David Crockett Highway.
“Any kind of car wrecks.”, stated Miller. "It can range from vehicle versus deer, all the way up to a fatality or a head-on collision. We cover all of that. We have been blessed enough to not have too many chemical wrecks or spills, which requires a little bit of a different approach. We’ve been able to avoid most of those over the years. But those things do happen.”
The volunteer heroes also take the time and go around to all of the local businesses and churches to conduct pre-fire plans, which are updated yearly.
Andy Knapper, Treasurer for the fire department and Community Club, expressed deep gratitude for all of the support they receive from the community, the attendees, and the volunteers who help make the event what it is.
“We really appreciate all the support from everyone.”, stated Knapper. “From the ladies in the neighborhood and community who make the desserts. For everyone who helps set up. You can’t do this overnight. For a little town of 500, to bring in 1,400-1,500 customers for this fish fry, that says a lot.”
As a staple in the community, the Belvidere Fish Fry once again proved to be a wild success for the volunteer flame fighters. With musical entertainment, a packed community center, a line of people around the building, and all the food one could eat, the Belvidere community demonstrated that the smallest towns come equipped with the biggest heart.
