By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

VERBENA — Verbena Fire and Rescue has received a donation of land as a thank you for its dedicated service.

Margaret Rawlinson and son James Robert Rawlinson had expressed wishes that the land be donated to the department. After their deaths, Margaret’s sister and her nephew, who have asked to remain anonymous, made the donation.

The property is at the corner of state Highway 22 and County Road 59 just a mile and a half from the current fire station.

“It saves us a lot of money by not having to buy the land … in the future we will have some property to expand upon. It could be used for a new fire department, a training facility, maybe a helicopter landing zone, we don’t know yet, but we were excited to receive it,” Terry Little, board chairman, said.

Little said Margaret Rawlinson had health issues later in life that necessitated using the rescue service for ambulance transport.

“She had told her sister that she had always wanted to do this for the fire department, and her sister honored her wishes,” Little said.

Whatever is built on the site will be named for Margaret Rawlinson and James Robert Rawlinson, according to Little.

There is no timeline for when a project may take place because of the funding required.

“We try to do barbecue fundraisings, different type things, we are also trying to apply for grants,” Little said.  “Any and all donations are accepted at any time.”

This volunteer fire department also receives funding from the county fire tax and from the state.

“It’s all-volunteer. No one is paid,” Little said.

Fire Chief Allen Gorree said the property gives the department options.

“It opens up a lot of things we can use it for like a training facility or a walking park for the community. It means a lot that someone would care this much to give us this,” Gorree said.

Training for department is currently conducted in the bay of the existing facility with live burn practice taking place when a dilapidated structure would be torn down.