Local firefighters are also handymen
That’s the life of Jim Sanders and Terry “Turtle” Jones, who hold down two full-time jobs as home builders and firefighters.
“It’s a lot of long hours,” admits Jim. “We stay busy.”
What helps the two keep both jobs is their schedule at McMinnville Fire Department, where they work for 24 hours straight then have 48 hours off. During their two-day breaks, Jim and Turtle work for the company Jim started about six years ago, Sanders Construction Services.
“We can do just about anything except hang drywall and pour concrete,” said Jim. “I think I’m the only contractor in Tennessee that guarantees my work for three years. But if you do things the way they’re supposed to be done, a three-year warranty isn’t anything.”
With spring just around the corner, Jim says his schedule will soon be filled with building decks. He also specializes in vinyl siding, trim work, remodeling and just about anything to do with home construction.
“If you want a new house, I can build you a new house with a three-year warranty,” said Jim. “We’ve built houses people have designed on a piece of notebook paper before.”
When they’re not busy with a hammer and nails, Jim and Terry can be found with a hard hat and hose. As firemen and construction workers, one question that comes to mind is if the two have ever been called to put out a fire at a home they have built.
“Not yet and I hope we never do,” said Jim.
As a firefighter, Turtle is usually the first person to enter a burning structure if entry is necessary. As an engineer, Jim has the job of driving the fire engine.
“It won’t go much faster than 60 mph,” said Jim. “And that’s wide open on a flat stretch.”
Part of the reason the fire engine is so slow is that it carries 750 gallons of water. Since water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon, the fire engine carries three tons in just water weight.
Turtle pointed out a fire will double in size in just over three minutes. “That means if you have one garbage can on fire, in nine minutes you’re going to have eight garbage cans on fire,” Turtle said.
It’s for that reason Jim says people need to leave a house fire immediately. “When people see their house on fire, they need to call the fire department and get out,” he said.