The volunteer service of a Jones County fire chief is being recognized by the naming of a road in his honor.

As of April 2, the road formerly known as Tower Road has been renamed Curtis James Road. Jones County commissioners voted on the name change December 5, 2006, at the request of District One Commissioner Larry Childs.

Curtis James retired as chief of Jones County Fire Station Six in August of 2006 after 26 years of volunteer service.

About 70 people attended the annual Christmas dinner for Station Six, and all the firefighters were dressed in service dress uniforms. The event was held at Healy Point Country Club and was dedicated in honor of Curtis and Pat James.

Captain Steve Hoyt worked with James for 15 years and was promoted to chief of the department after James’ retirement.

Hoyt said Curtis and Pat James have 500 hours of training between them, and, when he stepped down as chief, James asked that they both remain on the station’s role as firefighters and support personnel.

When James became chief, the station had no trucks, and the first blaze was extinguished by the department using a garden hose. James watched the station mature, first using the River North gatehouse for meetings, and later a firehouse was built by the River North Development.

The fire department received two trucks and its first ISO rating of nine in 1982. Fire Station Six continued to grow and had its ups and downs, including a lightning storm that burned down the firehouse in 1996.

Hoyt said under James’ leadership, the present day station was completed in 1997.

James was presented with gifts by the firefighters at the Christmas dinner, which included a plaque containing a poem written by EMA secretary Shirley Barton about volunteers, a gift basket presented by Hoyt, and a gift certificate for two nights stay at the Helendorf Inn in Helen for the couple from the department.

Chief Bobby Coulter gave James a letter signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue and a flag that was flown over the state Capitol in his honor.

Allan Green, Jones County fire chief and EMA director, presented the honoree with an engraved brass-headed ax, which was followed by Commissioner David Gault giving James a duplicate of the Curtis James Road sign.

Childs said the idea of naming the road was brought up by fire station volunteers. He brought the idea to the commissioners while discussing the confusion of roads with same names such as Gordon Road and Tower Road and Fire Tower Road at the board’s December 6 meeting.

“I can attest to the confusion because I had an ambulance stop at my house asking about Tower Road,” Childs said.

He said less than 20 houses are on Tower Road, which made it the logical one to change, and he sent letters to the residents informing them that the name change was being considered and another to inform them of the change.

“Mr. James and his family have given so much to the county, I thought this was a good thing,” Childs commented.