A middle school student has come up with a way to help out the community she lives in by putting an idea into the heads of people who live here.

Mackenzee Parrigin, daughter of Matt Parrigin, a fifth grader at Clinton County Middle School, has come up with a plan to supply the Albany Fire Department with bottles of water.

“You can buy as many cases of water that you want and leave it at the Dollar General or IGA and we will go pick it up,” Parrigin said.

Back in the winter, the old Maple Hill Hospital caught on fire and the Albany Fire Department worked several hours to extinguish the fire and to keep it from spreading to other properties.

“We live close to the Maple Hill Hospital and when it was on fire we went outside and we could feel the heat from the flames,” Parrigin said. “I wondered how hot it was for the firemen and I thought they were probably thirsty.”

Parrigin said she came up with the idea on her own and hopes people will help support the Albany Fire Department.

Renee Parrigin, Mackenzee’s aunt, said they have been talking about this idea for some time and are just now getting the plan started.

“You can just tell them you want to purchase a case of water for the fire department and they will know what to do,” Renee Parrigin said. “The goal of the project is to make it easy for the people to donate to the fire department.”

Parrigin said another reason for wanting to help the fire department was because the Albany Fire Department had supported students at the Albany Elementary by pumping water onto the water slide during the 4th Grade Bash.

“We kind of knew what we wanted, but we really didn’t know about how to go about doing it,” Renee Parrigin said. “We didn’t want the elderly to have to go by a case of water and take it out to the fire department. This way people can purchase water and we can go pick it up and deliver it to the fire station. So while people are shopping they can say they want to purchase a case of water for the fire department and it would be effortless that way.”

Renee Parrigin said she will probably check on how many cases have been purchased each week and deliver them to the fire station.

Parrigin said they have spoken to Albany Fire Chief Robert Roeper and the idea of people donating cases of water to the fire department has turned into a great idea for the department.

“They think it’s good that they can have more water now,” Parrigin said.

Renee said they are planning on having a “Fire Day” in order to raise money for the fire department. Those plans haven’t been finalized as of yet, but are in the works.

“On structure fires you get pretty drained and it’s part of the rehab program,” Roeper said. “We drink luke warm water because if we drink it too cold it could be dangerous. We usually keep a case or so in the trucks at all times and we can go through about eight to 10 cases a month. During times like now, when its hot out, a person will drink two to three bottles on a structure fire.”

Roeper said they will drink close to a case after every scene they are called on so they don’t get dehydrated.

“Renee and her family have been donating cases of water for a long time,” Roeper said. “Sometimes we have to go out and buy them and we will buy about 10 cases when we need to purchase them.”

“I thought it’s a really good idea because the stores just keep track of how many has been donated and they don’t really have to store them or anything,” Roeper said.