Oct. 7, 2007 - A Fallen Hero
Two of my sons are volunteer fire fighters and both hope to go into full-time firefighting in some capacity. They had to deal with the death this past week, of a firefighter they work with. He was only 19 and he died during a fire call.
The community came together in many ways - to comfort and give to the family, to bring comfort and food and whatever else they could to the firefighters who lost a brother. I was amazed at the firefighting "family". Firefighters came from all over the county, the state, and even from other states. Many stations volunteered to "cover" the station of the fallen firefighter, so the men wouldn't have to go on calls during this time.
I had never known of the type of funeral given to a fallen firefighter -- the men marched together, all wearing their uniforms and the firetrucks from every station in the county (and some others) came. They drove the casket, on top of one of the firetrucks, in a procession past the two stations where this young man had been a member. The siren went off as a salute when they drove past. Many people attended the funeral, with people standing along the street watching in quietness and respect, as the fire trucks rolled by in the slow procession.
One of my boys helped with the rescue efforts. The other, who had been friends with this young man, had been on an ambulance call and arrived after three firefighters were extracted from the fallen garage.
This is Fire Prevention Week. Can you try to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to talk with your children about the importance of these men and women who risk their lives for others?
Thank you,
Wendy
