The Hiller Companies have purchased all Covington Fire Protection accounts, and Covington Fire Protection Owner Paul Brackins said that this merger will be beneficial to Covington County.

“Hiller Companies is a huge company,” Brackins said. “They are a lot bigger company and provide a lot more services than we do.”

Covington Fire Protection will maintain all contracts, and procedures that are currently in place, and Hiller Companies will maintain all management, staff and technicians.

Brackins said that since they have not provided certain services that Hiller Companies provides, it has been a hassle for fire chiefs and restaurants to try and get people from out of town.

“They provide water mist systems and fire alarms for several different clients,” Brackins said. “So I think it is a good thing that we will have that accessible here in Covington County.”

Hiller Companies will provide the labor for Covington Fire Protection on the services that they don’t have until they grow as a company, Brackins said.

“They will bring in people for all the services that we don’t already do,” Brackins said. “But once we grow, they will start training our staff.”

Brackins said that Hiller Companies training ability is top grade.

“It is kind of hard to get extra training for the staff,” Brackins said. “But now that we are a part of Hiller, we already have two guys gone for a whole week at the Florida State Fire College in Ocala getting some extra training.”

Brackins said that since they merged with Hiller Companies on June 1, business has been booming.

“It has been a really great month,” Brackins said. “Business has been like a rocket, and it will only get better. We are still servicing customers and continuing the quality, dependable and professional fire protection service people have grown accustom to.”

Brackins bought Covington Fire Protection in 1994, when it was still County Fire Protection. He did not plan on it being a full time job, but he soon found out that he had a passion for it.

“I bought it in April of 1994 and changed the name to Covington Fire Protection,” Brackins said. “I didn’t think of it as a full time job, just as a side hobby, but I guess things turn out how they are supposed to.”

Covington Fire Protection is located on Sanford Road where Stokies Cigar Shop used to be.

“We closed the cigar shop so now it is strictly Hiller Companies,” Brackins said. “We usually cover as far up as Monroeville and Montgomery, so our coverage area will stay the same if not expand.”

Hiller Companies began in 1919, as a way to preserve lives and property around the world. They have 721 employees and 21 offices from Boston to San Diego.