Today, we are honored to highlight McCord’s Fire Department Chief Rich Lindsey.

Chief Rich Lindsey began his fire service career as an explorer at McCord’s Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department (MFD) in March of 2003 and has continued to serve the citizens and visitors of Cherokee County and the surrounding area for the last 22 years.

Since then, he has served as a firefighter, then secretary, and was finally elected as chief in May 2011, where he has faithfully served his department since.

Chief Lindsey has a strong passion for the fire service and is an active voice for volunteer fire departments at the county, state, and national levels. He is a member of the National Volunteer Fire Council, Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs, and North Alabama Association of Fire Chiefs.

He was elected in 2024 to serve as an alternate director to the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments and currently serves as chairman of the Cherokee County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments Radio Communications Committee where he is responsible for the administration of the land mobile radio system used by not only fire departments, but all Cherokee County’s first responders.

Outside of the fire service, Chief Lindsey is a partner and the manager of Cherokee Gin & Cotton Co., the state’s largest producing cotton gin; is a partner of Coosa River Land Co., a large row-cropping operation where cotton is the primary crop grown; and a partner of Alexis Farms, LLC., a five-house poultry operation.

He is as passionate about farming and cotton as he is firefighting, serving as a director to the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association and National Ginners Association.

He also serves as the minister of music at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Chief Lindsey has been married to his wife, Cassandra, since 2008, and the couple has two children, Savannah Kate ( and R.J. (4).

Chief Lindsey has spent much of his career writing grants and engaging with national, state, and local government to ensure that his firefighters have the needed equipment to safely fulfill the department’s mission which is: To reduce the loss of life and property by providing quality fire and rescue services to our community and the surrounding area through fire prevention education and ensuring a timely response of qualified personnel and adequate equipment to fires, rescues, medical emergencies, and other incidents.

Chief Lindsey has promoted education and professionalism amongst volunteer firefighters by bringing unique training opportunities to Cherokee County and traveling with groups of local chiefs and firefighters to state and regional trainings and conferences.

Personally, Chief Lindsey holds certifications as a Certified Volunteer Firefighter, Firefighter II, Fire and Emergency Services Instructor I, Fire Officer I, Emergency Medical Responder, and numerous National Incident Management System certifications, including Advanced Incident Command System for Command and General Staff-Complex Incidents.

Chief Lindsey said, “While serving a volunteer fire department is an enormous responsibility and often requires time that I do not have, it is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever been a part of!” He continued saying, “The volunteer fire service requires a commitment from your entire family.

I am fortunate to have a family that supports and encourages my fire-service career, and I cannot thank them, my business partners, and employees enough for allowing me to serve and filling the void at home and work when duty calls.”

Chief Lindsey closed by stating that it is really the men and women who fill the ranks of McCord’s Fire Department who deserve the credit: “They are the dedicated servants who make our mission a success!”