Friends,
It is approximately 6:15 P.M. He sat across the desk as we began to talk about the Volunteer Fire Department. The night before had been busy with two 18-wheelers and a car colliding. Working the accident all night left little time for sleep. The morning came quickly and so did his day-job.
About 15-minutes into the conversation, the fire alarm went off. He quickly reached for his phone as he focused on the message that was coming over the air waves. On the telephone, he recognized the location of the accident.
"It is near the Holland Road Bridge, he said. "I've got to go."
Putting on his cap, the first fire volunteer arrived. The Fire lady said, "where is it?" No more than 4 minutes had passed since the alarm sounded.
"I-35 Holland Road Bridge."
Like magic, the tiredness in his physical features vanished. Energy was pouring forth and the look in his eyes said it all, "Let's go immediately."
The Firelady responded, "Ok, they are saying there is gasoline on the highway."
Walking out the door, other firemen were arriving from all walks of life. One was in shorts. His shoes in his hands -- no time to waste putting them on.
The big garage doors began to open.
Other firemen began to arrive, some with flashing lights on their personal vehicle. They had left their jobs, activities, families, and homes to answer the call.
They would receive no pay for their sacrifice. Unless they had seen the accident or saw one of the flashing lights on a personal vehicle, Salado residents were not aware of the drama unfolding.
Most of the firemen/lady had been on the call the night before and had gone to work that morning. Now they were responding, again.
This was no time to be tired. Lives were at stake. People needed them at their best. Sleep could wait. Eternity was knocking.
It did not matter where they parked as they raced for their fire truck. Time was more important than parking in a straight line.
And there they were -- jeans, shorts, company shirts, boots, sneakers, belts, no belts, caps, hats -- dress was not important.
They were there,
They were trained,
They were ready,
and they were going.
This was your Volunteer Fire Department . . . .
This was your Volunteer Firemen/Lady
Demanding nothing . . . . Giving their all for the safety of SALADO.
Cheap words in an article say nothing . . . . a personal thanks from each citizen says it all.
Take the time to personally say thank you,
Drop by some soda, a few bags of cookies, chips, crackers, snacks, and write a letter of heart-felt thanks.
If you have a few dollars, write a check to help pay for their equipment.
You never know . . . . that equipment may be answering a call to your home or your neighbor's home.
Below are the two trucks the Salado Fire Department recently received. One came through a grant that paid for it in full.
The other was purchased. Part of it came through a bank loan. Payments are being made on it. That truck replaced the one that caught fire answering a wreck on I-35.
Search the world over and you will not find a better fire department or more dedicated people than the Salado Fire Department.
VR/Skip
