When asked to say a few words amid an assembled group of dignitaries, family and friends, Brantley Fire Chief Harry Driggers simply did what he thought he was there to do:

He gave a report to the town council about the current news involving its volunteer fire department.

The town's 20-year fire chief seemed humbled at the attention he was receiving. The building that houses Brantley's VFD was named the Harry Driggers Building on Monday night by Brantley Mayor Bernie Sullivan and members of the town council. On hand also for the ceremony were Crenshaw County Probate Judge Jim Perdue and Commissioner Ronnie Hudson.

Hudson presented Driggers with a proclamation declaring March 7, 2005 as Harry Driggers Day. Each of the town council members also expressed their thanks to Driggers for his years of service to the community and people of Brantley.

"I would put our volunteer fire department up against any fire department in the state," Sullivan told Driggers. "And much of that's because of you Harry."

Before sharing a green and white celebratory cake with the council, members of the Brantley VFD and his family, Driggers related a story that demonstrated his dedication to the job. His wife, Penny, and he were having a dinner at the Chicken Shack. A call for the fire department came through.

"I told her she was just going to have to find the best way home she could," Driggers said with a laugh.

Driggers, who is originally from Elba, recalled that when he started in the fire department at Fort Rucker he took over a unit of all black men. One of those men, Winzell Gray, attended Monday's ceremony.

"I told them that there is good in white folks and bad in white folks. There are good in black folks and bad in black folks. We're going to be a group of the good ones," Driggers said. "And I couldn't have asked to serve with a better bunch of people."

In other business, the council aprroved a recommendation by the finance committee to raise the pay of its water supervisor from $7.15 to $9.15 per hour.

Perdue also announced to the council that the South Central Alabama Revenue Commision had received the funds to purchase a van for transportation of Brantley area seniors to the Nutrition Center in Luverne. The van was secured through the Alabama Department of Transportation and should be available within the next few weeks.