Travelonz: Food, Friends and a Fire Truck

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise on the faces of the neighborhood kids when they saw a big red fire truck roll up the street on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The children dropped their cans of silly string and Super Soakers long enough to watch the giant vehicle stop and park alongside a gathering of their parents and friends at the mid-May Ivey Chase Spring Block Party in Stone Creek.

Soon, three representatives of the LCFR (Lowndes County Fire Rescue) opened the truck's shiny red doors and hopped out to join the folks, as special guests at the neighborhood picnic.While the grown-ups wandered over to admire the array of high-tech equipment, children climbed aboard to get a good view of the dials, hoses, jump seats, and gear.

Tommy Crump, Sergeant on Duty, stacked his bunker gear on the tarmac in the at-the-ready position for everyone to see. When not in use, these clothes are turned inside out so a firefighter can quickly step into them and pull them on. Did you know that a firefighter must be able to get into his or her gear--including air tank and mask--in two minutes, in order to be certified?

"We love to meet and greet the community and let the people get a glimpse of our world. This way we can show them what we do in different situations," said Sgt. Crump.

"Often times we visit to educate and impress the children, but it's the adults who seem to enjoy it even more." Over the next hour, the firemen fielded lots of questions from the crowd and enjoyed discussing how they use specialized training and equipment to help the community.

"Being a firefighter involves a personal commitment to service that comes from the heart," said Joe Brown. Often, these teams are your first line of defense. They will even respond to EMS calls if no ambulance is available. "Sometimes, the action is non-stop. Whether it's putting out a fire or just helping grandpa back into bed, we do whatever we can to be of assistance," added Jeff Fitch. "Thank you for allowing us to come out to serve our customers."

After the getting a close-up look at the fire truck, everyone gathered to enjoy burgers and hot dogs hot off the grill and an assortment of homemade appetizers and desserts.