Adding resources: Ribbon-cutting held for additions to Big Cove Fire Station

 

By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.

One Feather Asst. Editor

 

CHEROKEE, N.C. – A ribbon was cut and a fire hose was uncoupled to officially open the new additions to the Big Cove Fire Station in Kolanvyi (Big Cove) on the beautiful afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 22.  Just 15 months after the groundbreaking, tribal officials of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) joined staff from Cherokee Fire & Rescue for the event.

Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks commented, “I just want to thank all the team, again, for all your work – Fire Department and Public Safety – for making sure that we keep up with the needs of the community. It’s very important that we do so.

We all know it takes a community to do this work.”

He added, “We’re just thankful to have this facility, especially this close to Head Start.

Meeting the needs of the tribe and meeting the needs of our programs and our people is what our responsibilities are.”

Rebecca Bowe, EBCI Project Management manager, gave the details of the project. “We’ve added a third bay so that they can have a larger truck up here. The guys don’t have to share a room anymore. They were all piled in one room with bunk beds. They each have their own room in the back. We also added a fitness area so they can do their workout and then a training and lounge area. So, now their kitchen can actually be a kitchen and not a shared space. I think, overall, it was 2,000 square feet we added to this project. Facilities helped us with adding the floor. Of course, Cherokee Enterprise was our partner on this. And Johnson Architecture was our design team.”

Taline Ugvwiyu (Vice Chief) Alan B. Ensley said the project started several years ago. “We started out with the Big Cove Community wanting the police department to have a headquarters up here. Then we got to talking about having the Fire Department up here. It takes so long to answer a call coming from Cherokee. That’s when we really got the ball to moving on getting the Fire Department up here.

Once the Fire Department got up here, they got involved with the community going out helping them clear trees out, working with the free labor group. That’s what our community is all about – getting out and helping each other. They’ve set a good example up here so I hope they continue that and we get the other departments doing the same thing.”

He went on to say, “This has been a great project. Anytime we can expand out into the communities makes serving the public a lot easier for all the departments.”

Anthony Sequoyah, EBCI secretary of operations, noted, “I’m one of the most excited people about this. My career started with the Tribe as one of the paid Fire Department members. We had four paid firemen and one chief, and it has grown and grown.

I’m confident that we’ll see more growth in public safety as we grow as well as the whole EBCI as a whole.”

Tevin Smoker, Cherokee Fire Chief, commented, “It’s an exciting day for us. I just want to thank the Chief, Vice Chief, Council and any other tribal leadership. Today’s a big day. Adding onto the station and renovations brings more resources into Big Cove. It makes our community stronger. It gives the guys more resources to give the best of the best service.

I want to thank my staff for their dedication and hard work to make this Department what it is.”

On the fire hose uncoupling ceremony, Smoker noted, “This is a Fire Department tradition of opening a brand-new station.”

The event was opened with a prayer by Clement Calhoun, an EBCI tribal elder and first language Cherokee speaker.  Ugvwiyuhi Hicks and Taline Ugvwiyu Ensley were joined by several other officials including Aniwodihi (Painttown) Rep. Michael Stamper, Aniwodihi Rep. Shannon Swimmer, Tutiyi (Snowbird) and Tsalagi Gadugi (Cherokee County) Rep. Michael Smoker, and 2026-27 Miss Cherokee Caedence Smith.