By Nathan Prewett, For the Tribune
PINSON – Pinson City Zoning Administrator Chris Sharit was honored at a meeting of the city council on Thursday, June 20 for his efforts in assisting the Center Point Fire District with the funeral service of the recently passed Albert Tinney IV.
Tinney died on May 29 at the age of 24 after serving the district since July of 2021.
“We had a pretty long three weeks,” said Center Point Fire District Battalion Chief Chris Horn. “We had one of our firefighters pass away and Chris really stepped up and helped us on filling the gap that we really needed.”
Councilwoman Clinteshia Irvin read aloud a letter that recognized Sharit’s help as the district mourned the loss of one of their own.
“Your knowledge, experience and unwavering dedication were truly invaluable during this deeply challenging time,” said the letter. “Your expertise played a critical role in ensuring the funeral service was executed with the utmost respect and precision. From coordinating logistics to overseeing critical details, your meticulous attention to detail provided much needed guidance and support to all involved.”
The letter went on to say that he is dedicated to public safety and thanked him for the service that he provided.
Center Point Fire District Brandon Dahlen was also present at the meeting and commended Sharit.
“This is something that’s very tough for us to work through unfortunately,” he said. “But the first responder family is huge and we felt a lot of that support during this time and guys like [Sharit] come out and help with the logistics and all the planning that [he] did and just being there to help support the family.”
Prior to Sharit’s recognition the council heard a report from Horn on the May numbers. There were 869 calls, with eight being structure fires and 314 being emergency medical services. There were 11 automatic aid given and five received. There are currently five vacancies in the district.
Horn invited the council to their annual board meeting on July 8 at the training center where they will be given updates on additions to the facility. He then gave a reminder that their gold tournament in honor of Ricky Davis, who died in 2000, at the Grayson Valley Country Club on July 29.
Later in the meeting Councilman Brad Walker gave a report on the recent CityFest event that celebrated the incorporation of Pinson 20 years ago in 2004. There was an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 people in attendance.
He said that he invented the word “Fabtastic” to describe the fireworks display in the evening. The event featured food trucks and a display by the Pinson Historical Society that described the history of the city.
Pinson City Council meets on the first and third Thursdays of every month at City Hall on 4410 Main Street. Live-streamed meetings can be seen on the city’s Facebook page.
Nathan Prewett can be reached at nthomasp6@gmail.com.