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Dig out your spare change and get ready for the Monrovia Volunteer Fire Department 'Boot Drive'

Firefighters will be out, boots in hand, to collect your donations.

MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA, Ala. — If you see firefighters on the streets this Saturday holding out their boots, grab your spare change. They're collecting donations for the Monrovia Volunteer Fire Department.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, the firefighters will be out from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They'll be at the intersections of Capshaw Road/Wall Triana Highway and Jeff Road/Mt. Zion Road. Your cash donations into their boots will be put towards a department goal of $46,000 to update the current aging fleet of vehicles and lower maintenance costs.

The department has 35 volunteer firefighters and EMTs along with 10 support personnel and 10 junior firefighters. Their two stations serve 33,000 residents and respond to emergencies in the Monrovia area of Madison County.

No cash on hand? Ask for a card with Paypal donation information or donate via Facebook. Individuals and corporations are encouraged to participate. Information can be found at www.MonroviaFire.org and on their Facebook page.

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RELATED: Huntsville/Madison County now offering a text-to-911 service

9-1-1 is now at our fingertips in more ways than one. You can now text 9-1-1 in Madison County. 

"Texting to 9-1-1 is very simple. It's the same as texting to a friend," says Chief Operating Officer & 9-1-1 Director for Huntsville-Madison County 9-1-1 Center, Chris Tucker.

Tucker says here's how:

"Just pull up the text app in your smart phone, and key in 9-1-1 in the recipient field and key in your message, always put it in the location and the nurture of your emergency and click send," he says.

They say calling 9-1-1 should be your first choice, texting is a secondary option. Call 9-1-1 when you can, but text when you cannot.

"Since the Huntsville Madison County 9-1-1 Center is the largest in the state and the population continues to grow, it's very important to serve the community in the best way that we can," says Tucker.

The service benefits a caller who is deaf, hearing or speech impaired. Unable to speak because of medical condition such as stroke.

Or a caller who is in a situation where speaking would be unsafe like an abduction, domestic violence, or home invasion.

However, here are some things to keep in mind should you have to text 9-1-1. "Photos videos, emojis, attachments and group text are not accepted by text to 9-1-1 at this time," says Tucker.

Tucker also says never use abbreviations or slang terms. "We want to ensure that no matter who receives the text message, that they understand and get you the help that you need," he says.

For now, the Tucker says the text to 9-1-1 is only available in English and for carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

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