Stories of firefighters

Top 8 heartwarming firefighter stories of 2020

From firefighters going the extra mile for members of their communities, to civilians paying it forward for their local fire departments, here are the most heartwarming fire service stories from this year

The fire service's dedication to serving and protecting the public has a way of bringing out the best in both its members and the communities they serve, and this is often the truest in times of adversity and hardship.

Despite the immense challenges this year has brought to fire departments across the country, the following stories show that the spirit of compassion and generosity is as alive as ever, with firefighters going above and beyond for those they serve and community members paying it forward with acts of kindness and generosity toward their local fire departments.

Here are the top eight heartwarming firefighter stories from 2020:

1. Firefighter-paramedic donates part of liver to retired police officer after seeing Facebook post

Suffering from liver failure due to stones in his pancreas, retired Houston Police Officer Bubba Laws, 69, was told he would only have weeks to live without a transplant. Described by his daughter Kim Pendergraft as "very proud" and not wanting to burden anyone, Laws decided he had "already accepted death" after none of his family members turned out to be a match.

However, Pendergraft took to Facebook in search of more potential donors, and eventually found one in Kerrville Firefighter-Paramedic Blair Casey, who turned out to be a match. After a successful transplant surgery, Laws said he was "flimflammed" to find out his daughter had gone out of her way to find him a donor, and grateful that Casey stepped up to give him "a new lease on life."

Read the full story.

Kerrville firefighter becomes our first living liver donor in 2020 to save retired officer he had never met... until now! It all began when Blair and his wife Michelle saw a friend’s Facebook post asking for prayers and help finding a living donor for her father who was dying from end-stage liver disease. Without knowing him, both Blair and Michelle came to his rescue and underwent evaluations. Both were a match but Blair was a perfect fit! About 8 years ago Blair’s grandfather, who helped raise him, passed away. Blair did not know until after he was approved for donation that his soon to be recipient’s nickname was Bubba, just like his grandpa. At that point, Blair knew he was doing something great. “I would do anything to get him back for a year, 2, 3... a day,” Blair said. “He reminds me a lot of my grandpa. This was meant to be. To extend his life and give him a good quality of life from here on out.” Bubba has three amazing daughters who never left his side. His wife Pam said, “I’ve never lied to my husband so keeping this secret was very hard. He would have never let anyone inconvenience their life to donate to him. He was stubborn and the girls saw their daddy getting sicker. He was in and out of the hospital, admitted 16 times, in a coma and unresponsive. After meeting Dr. Cigarroa, I knew in my heart when he said to Bubba ‘we are going to save you’ that it was true. Thank you is not enough!” “I’ve never met anyone as selfless with much of a giving heart,” Bubba said about Blair. Blair is a new member of their family and a brother his daughters had always wanted! #AmericaStrong #LivingLiverDonor #FirstResponder #OurHero
Posted by University Transplant Center on Wednesday, January 22, 2020

2. Fla. first responders buy groceries for woman struggling to pay medical bills

In February, Hernando County firefighters were called to the house of a woman who had recently been in a car accident, after a Hernando County deputy performed a welfare check and learned that she hadn't been able to buy food due to her medical bills. After evaluating her, the first responders went the extra mile by driving to a local grocery store to buy her food that fit within her dietary restrictions. Since then, the woman's home health care provider made arrangements for long-term services to ensure she could get the groceries she needed.

Read the full story.

3. First responders in pink gear surprise girl, 10, diagnosed with leukemia

Emilee Derrer, the daughter of Mt. Carroll (Illinois) Fire Department Capt. Eric Derrer and Savanna EMT Erin Foster, received a special surprise in early March when a pink ambulance and fire truck appeared in front of her house, along with dozens of first responders, some dressed in pink gear, lining up to give her a hug.

A total of 23 emergency vehicles participated in the celebration to show support for the 10-year-old during her battle with leukemia. The event was organized by the Pink Heals Sauk Valley Chapter with the help of Chapter President Brian Tribley, who is also a firefighter.

Read the full story.

Emilee is ten years old and battling Leukemia. We gathered with several area fire departments, and surprised her with lots of hugs and love! Savanna, IL 3-1-20
Posted by Pink Heals Sauk Valley, IL Chapter on Monday, March 2, 2020

4.

Fire departments bring birthday joy to kids stuck at home

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many children looking forward to their birthdays had to forego seeing their friends and cancel celebrations as families did their part to flatten the curve. In response, fire departments across the country hosted socially distanced birthday parades so kids wouldn't have to miss out on their special day.

Read the full story.

Social Distancing Birthday Visit Update! Thanks to everyone that's invited us to be a part of their child's birthday...
Posted by LeClaire Fire Department on Thursday, April 2, 2020

5. Anonymous donor leaves boxes of ppe on north Carolina fire engine

In May, High Point firefighters received a heartwarming donation from an anonymous good Samaritan, who left eight packages of N95 respirators on their fire engine while they were inside a store buying groceries for their shift. The eight packages, left without a note, contained a total of 160 respirators that fire officials said would have cost the department at least $500. Although the donor didn't seek any recognition, the department expressed their gratitude on Facebook, saying "such a wonderful act should not go without thanks."

Read the full story.

Today the HPFD was blessed by an anonymous soul. Someone left 8 boxes of 3M N95 masks with Engine 10 while the crew was...
Posted by High Point Fire Department on Monday, May 4, 2020

6. Added Force: Baby Yoda a boost on Western wildfire lines

When 5-year-old Carver and his grandmother Sasha Tinning delivered a Baby Yoda toy to a donation center for firefighters, along with a note reading, "Here is a friend for you in case you get lonely," they probably didn't expect that their simple gesture would become a viral sensation. But the cute character's power to spread joy to firefighters across Oregon and beyond made him an unlikely mascot for those on the front lines of this year's devastating wildfires, with one fire official calling him "the 21st-century Smokey the Bear. " Baby Yoda's travels from fire camp to fire camp are shared on the Facebook page "Baby Yoda fights fires."

Read the full story.

THE CHILD! This is the way! Thank you everyone this has been so fun to be apart of and watch the joy he brings.
Posted by Baby yoda fights fires on Wednesday, September 23, 2020

7. Firefighters use ladder to reunite mom, daughter at nursing home

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shirl Carmine was unable to visit her mother Shirley Taylor, a resident at Alice B. Tawes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, for several months. Carmine said she had thought about bringing a tall ladder to the nursing home in order to reach the window of her mother's second-floor room. However, Carmine and her daughter Jessica came up with a better idea when they happened to pass by a Crisfield Volunteer Fire Department ladder truck filling up at a gas station in July.

Carmine met Assistant Chief Engineer Matt Tomlin's in the gas station shop and asked if they could use their ladder to bring her up to the window of her mother's room. After getting approval from Fire Chief Frankie Pruitt, the volunteer crew obliged her request, allowing her to see her mother face-to-face again for the first time in four months.

"To see the smile on these ladies' faces and see life come back to my Grandma's eyes, it is absolutely beautiful," Jessica Carmine wrote on Facebook.

Read the full story.

I can not even begin to put into words how much I appreciate the Crisfield Volunteer Fire Department! They made...
Posted by Jess Carmine on Sunday, July 5, 2020

8. Firefighters help replace kids' baseball cards destroyed in California's largest wildfire

CAL FIRE/Fresno County Fire went to bat for kids affected by the Creek Fire by launching a campaign to replace their baseball card collections that were destroyed in the blaze. Through the "Step Up To The Plate" campaign, which began in October, firefighters encouraged supporters to send in their cards to be donated to three youth baseball players who lost their homes, including Reese Osterberg, 9, who the department called "one of the best baseball players in the league." In November, the department gave an update on Facebook, saying, "Not only have we received many baseball cards but also many heartfelt notes to the kids."

Read the full story.

We challenged you to “Step Up To The Plate” and donate baseball cards to Reese and her friends that have been impacted...
Posted by CAL FIRE/Fresno County Fire on Monday, November 2, 2020

About the author

Laura French is a former editorial assistant for FireRescue1 and EMS1, responsible for curating breaking news and other stories that impact first responders. In a prior role at Forensic Magazine, French was able to combine her interests in journalism, forensics and criminology. French has a bachelor’s degree in communications/journalism with a minor in criminology from Ramapo College in New Jersey.

FIREMAN - stories about the profession

Fireman

author: Little liar

A man's strong hand lit a match in the dark. The light from the match illuminated the large features of the face. Throwing the unburned match, He gazed at Her.

She felt a strange excitement somewhere in the depths of her soul, as if His eyes burned through and through Her.

He silently smoked, and She was getting hotter from His thoughtful look. She was on fire and couldn't help herself. What happened to her at that moment was like a fire. She noticed how a spark from a cigarette fell on His wrinkled trousers and burned another hole. He mechanically brushed the ashes from his trousers onto the snow, looking only at Her. His pale, tired face turned pink from Her warmth and his memories. She felt that His soul was warming next to Her.

Small glowing sparks of happiness swirled around them, flashing and disappearing in the night sky. "Like tiny stars," the comparison suddenly occurred to him. Then He chuckled out of the corner of his mouth: "I'm getting sentimental. I guess I'm getting old."

He stretched out his hands to Her. She froze in anticipation of a miracle. "Damn," He muttered, "how quickly She flared up today. It's not far from the fire!", and dragged the dry snag closer to the water.

All burning in the fire of passion, She suddenly found herself in icy water. She wanted to scream in pain, but She could not, and only a faint hiss broke the silence of the night. And His receding steps on crisp white snow.

And after him flew Her barely audible plea: "For shshshto, for shshshto?". The hissing grew quieter until it stopped.

Just She didn't know that her beloved once worked as a Fireman and could put out any fire.

Profession fireman

author: Elena Kuyundzhych

There are universally recognized standards for many professions: "Doctor

heals, police officer keeps order, fireman saves people from fire. " But all these are generally recognized standards, but what is so mysterious, hidden from the eyes of "mere mortals" really going on in the firefighting profession? .. - I decided to figure this out in a conversation with one no less mysterious person ...

"A firefighter sleeps for 25 hours (because he goes to bed an hour earlier) and when he sleeps, the state gets richer," - in such a playful tone, our conversation began with a fire officer, ensign Semyon Ambartsumovich Karabashyan.

The question that interested me the most was the reason for this man's entry into the firefighting profession, and how it affected his entire future fate. To which I received a very interesting answer:

- It all started with the Fire and Technical Exhibition in Orlenok,

, which I got to when I was 12 years old - the craving for heroism, inherent in every boy of my age, aroused my keen interest, because it was this profession that promised risk and extreme sports, the thirst for which lives, probably, in every real male heart. My aspirations were not a blue dream. After some time, I became a member of the UDPD (Young friend of the fire brigade), by conscription to the Armed Forces, an employee of the

fire brigade. Well, upon his return, as expected, he devoted himself entirely to this profession. That is, I can say

that all this wild youthful energy was directed in the right direction, which I do not regret at all.

"And what are the characteristics of a firefighter?" - sounded my further questions.

"- What is characteristic is constant lack of sleep, and not because there is a lot of work, although it happens: for example, it happens that the whole month there are endless trips to fires, and then again several months of relative smoke break, but also during this "calm" period of time, you feel by no means relaxed, as the brain works in constant readiness mode, the head is programmed for the "call button" - and this is very exhausting.0003

But, I'm not complaining at all, because this is my job, otherwise it would be boring and uninteresting. I will not hide, maybe someone came to this job by force, but these are strong, hardy people, and it is their calling to work in this area. After all, this work is not easy, and it is worth it: The greatest reward is to hear words of gratitude from people. And this statement is not unfounded, because, first of all, you think not only about how to put out the fire, but also how to be able to save the life and property of the victim.0003

And then it becomes interesting, but are the firefighters themselves afraid of fire? After all, everyone knows that fire is an element that cannot be neglected. And indeed, it turns out that even firefighters are scared, but this fear is not panic at all, on the contrary, its presence helps to soberly assess the situation. After all, among other things, a firefighter must also be a good psychologist, able, no matter what happens, to sensibly assess the situation and correctly, skillfully influence the victim, not forgetting that the main task is to help people. Save them by all means.

So we started talking about rescue, because the invariable flare of the dispatcher answering the calls just sounds exactly like: "Rescue Service 01". But even to this question, an answer was received that was devoid of guile and opened the cards to the fact that, as such, an independent service does not exist. But, even so, combined, it brings considerable benefits: It often happens that a person does not know the phone number or cannot get through. And then the dispatcher is obliged to redirect or accept and process the information, transferring it to all necessary authorities. And all these combinations provide effective assistance to the population. However, this is still just the beginning. But "we still strive for excellence, because we love our work. And we are always ready to help people!"

Well, we are probably in the safe hands of the kind and helpful fire department after all. And you can live in peace when it is precisely such people who become to protect society from dangerous incidents!

Fireman

author: Erik Petrov

It is rare to find such a person who has more years of service than the years he has lived. Such a person in Bilibino is Igor Balan, whose service in the fire department alone is almost 60 years. True, on a preferential basis, since in the North a year of service takes two years.

Talking about Igor Vasilievich, I would like to note that he went through a difficult but sure way from an ordinary firefighter to the deputy head of the FGKU "1 Detachment of the Federal Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug", rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the internal service.

- I was born on Sakhalin. In 1967, our family moved to Bilibino, here in 1969 I went to school, - says a veteran of the fire service. While studying at school, Igor Balan was actively involved in physical education and sports. He had sports categories in several types, but preferred classical wrestling more. Repeatedly played for the district in regional competitions in Magadan, where he took first and second places, and as part of the best athletes went to competitions at the Far Eastern regional level in the cities of Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk. Since he was fond of since childhood, and in high school he was seriously involved in sports, after graduating from high school, the guy no longer faced the question: what to become? Having successfully passed the entrance exams, he entered the Institute of Physical Education in the city of Frunze (then the capital of the Kirghiz SSR). At 19He graduated from the institute in 1983 and managed to work a little in the sports school until the fall. At the end of the military service, Igor Balan arrived in Bilibino and after a while got a job at a children's and youth sports school as a Greco-Roman wrestling coach. Then Sergei Vasilyevich Chernov just took over as director of the Youth Sports School. Yes, in the summer I still managed to work one shift as an educator in a tourist camp on Pogyndino and one shift as a physical education teacher in the Young Guard pioneer camp. Further in the direction of the district committee of the Komsomol in December 19At the age of 85, he was sent to serve in the paramilitary fire department No. 4 for the protection of the Bilibino nuclear power plant (now PCh No. 8). He started his service as a fireman, then he was a senior fireman, department commander, and in January 1992 he was appointed to the position of fire inspector of the prevention department in the same unit. In March 1992 he was appointed to the post of head of the guard of the same unit. It was in those years associated with the collapse of the Soviet Union that hard times came for the fire department: there were no voluntary fire brigades, fire equipment had exhausted its motor resource and, as a result, the level of combat readiness of the fire department fell, the number of fires increased. In those days, the personnel of the HPV-4 guards on duty often went to the fires in the area of \u200b\u200bthe exit of the fire station No. 7, as additional forces, to provide assistance. Dachas, the private sector in the area of PDU, Cheryomushki, the Old Port were on fire ... The population of the Bilibino urban-type settlement at that time was more than 18 thousand people. So, Igor Vasilyevich, being a firefighter, also often had to take a direct part in extinguishing fires.

- In June 1998, I was appointed to the position of deputy chief of fire station No. 8, continues the veteran of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. - Successfully passed the entrance examinations and became a student of the Academy of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, which he graduated with a degree in "Management in the field of fire safety". He returned from Moscow back to Bilibino, to the same PCh No. 8 to his previous position.

In 2009, the State Institution “1 Detachment of the Federal Fire Service in the ChAO” was established. Then Igor Vasilyevich was appointed to the post of deputy head of the detachment. Since 2004, the Bilibino garrison has received ten new fire trucks and several units of auxiliary equipment, and the equipment of firefighters has also been significantly updated. The personnel of the guards on duty professionally extinguish fires, both in settlements and in forests, and also take part in the elimination of traffic accidents and in other emergencies. And in this, too, there is the undoubted merit of Igor Vasilyevich.

On July 7, 2015, Igor Balan retired from service, but on July 13 he was appointed to the position of the head of the service organization, training and fire fighting group of the FGKU “1 FPS Detachment in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug”. As they say, the veteran is back in the ranks.

The fairy tale about the fire is a therapeutic fairy tale. Fairy tale therapy for children

Problem: - safety rules

One day Alyosha climbed onto the table for sweets and saw matches. Sweets were stacked in a colorful pile in a white shiny vase, and matches lay nearby in a small, neat box with a beautiful picture. The boy immediately forgot about the sweets and pulled the box towards him. Alyosha often saw how his mother turned on the gas and brought a burning match to the burner. A large blue flower immediately bloomed on the stove. Alyosha knew it was fire. Although he was told that the fire was terrible, he never believed it, because the fire was beautiful and interesting to look at. He seemed to be beckoning.

There were no adults in the kitchen, and Alyosha decided to make the same beautiful fiery flower himself. Moreover, there is nothing complicated about it! You just need to strike a match and bring it to the stove.

The matches were so beautiful, so identical, light-colored, with neat dark heads. Alyosha took one and scratched at the box. At that very moment, something terrible happened: a tiny spark jumped out from under the match and began to dance around the kitchen, setting fire to everything around. Wherever she stopped, a black burnt spot immediately appeared. The kitchen was filled with fumes, smoke, and a terrible voice rang out:

- Thank you, naughty boy! You lifted the magical spell placed on me by the good wizard Meridon many thousands of years ago. He imprisoned me in this match and said that I could only free myself when some child struck a match on the box and a spark appeared. But all children know that matches cannot be taken in hand, so for many years I languished in a dungeon. Finally, I got you, wonderful naughty Alyosha!

The voice laughed very close, and a terrible fiery face with black eyes looked at Alyosha from the smoke.
- Have you been bewitched by a good wizard? he asked fearfully. "So you're evil?"
— Yes, I am the evil sorceress Ogninda! Now I can finish my important work!
- What's your business? Alyosha asked in a trembling voice.
- I must burn the whole earth so that there is not a bush, a blade of grass, a leaf, a house, or a person left!
- How? Alyosha was completely frightened. “What will be left then?”
— Huge bonfire, — answered Ogninda and began to conjure:
Evil forces, come to me,
Sun hide in the fire!
Roll, Veni, Lamya!
Fire up!
Roll, roll, one, two, three!
Burn everything around me!

The witch danced in the kitchen. Alyosha stood almost alive with horror: instead of hair she had black smoke, instead of hands - fiery jets. She waved them and ate everything: the table, the shelves, the curtains. And then she looked at Alyosha and opened her huge mouth.

Then Alyosha could not stand it and rushed to run. He jumped out of the house and saw Ognilda waving to him from the window with her fiery hands:

- You can't hide from me anywhere! I'll still find you and eat you!
- What have I done! Alyosha cried. Why did I take the matches? After all, my mother said that you can’t touch them!
Suddenly a small butterfly landed on his shoulder.
- Did you free Firefire? she asked.
"Me," Alyosha answered guiltily. Please help me fix everything!
- It's very difficult. We need to hurry before Ognilda burns everything around. Get on my back, I will take you to the wizard Meridon, only he can defeat Ognilda.
— How can I sit on you, how small you are, — Alyosha said sadly.
- But I'm not just a simple butterfly. After all, simple butterflies do not talk. I am the good fairy Lionella. Now I will wave my magic wand and you will become so small that you can easily fit between my wings.

A golden stick as thin as a hair appeared in her paws:
Tirli-dirli-veles!
Starting miracles!
Shrink, shrink,
Turn into a little gnome!

Once - and Alyosha became less than a bread crumb! Two - a green cap appeared on his head, and green boots with gold buckles appeared on his feet. Three - and now they are already in the air!
— Why did you turn me into a gnome? Alyosha asked, shouting over the wind.
- We are flying to a magical land, ordinary people are not allowed there! the fairy replied.
Green forests, flower meadows, rivers and mountains passed below them, then they flew over the blue sea, and finally, a tired butterfly landed on the shore of an emerald green island.
Alyosha immediately realized that the island was magical, because everyone was talking here: birds, insects, and even trees.
"Hi," an unknown motley bird chirped. - And why does it smell like burning from you?

Alyosha immediately remembered his misfortune and stopped admiring the wonderful curiosities that surrounded him. And he was no longer interested in anything: neither dancing flowers, nor singing wind, nor somersaulting ants.

- I freed Ognilda! Alyosha whispered.
- What a horror! the bird exclaimed. – How could this happen? After all, everyone knows that Ognilda can free herself only if the child picks up matches. Or... No, it can't be! Are you a bewitched boy? Did you take matches?
- Yes! Alyosha nodded. Now I want to fix everything.
- Take him to Meridon, please! Lionella asked the colorful bird. I'm so tired that I can't fly any further.
- Of course! Get on top of me! There is not a minute to lose! - and the bird soared into the blue sky, carrying Alyosha away on its fluffy back.
The island on top was round like a plate. In the middle of it rose a high mountain, on the slopes of which trees grew. Only one road led to the very top of the mountain, on which the palace of the good wizard Meridon glittered with golden domes.

The wizard is at home. He sat in an armchair made of clouds and read a huge thick book. She hung in the air before him, and little moths turned the pages. Meridon turned out to be a tall old man with a long white beard and gray hair. He wore a white cloak and a tall pointed cap.

As soon as Alyosha entered the hall where the magician was sitting, dusk fell. Meridon frowned. He looked at Alyosha, clasped his hands and exclaimed:
"How could you pick up matches?" After all, children are not allowed to touch them! Ah ah ah.
He began to fly around the hall and grab scrolls with sorcery spells from the shelves.
— Wrong, wrong again, — he was worried.
Meridon finally found the right scroll.
"More likely, we don't have time at all!" he shouted to Alyosha. The boy ran up to him, the wizard stood on the silver rug, covered Alyosha with his white cloak and, clapping his hands, said quickly:
On a flying carpet
In Alyosha's yard!
Once - and they ended up in Alyosha's yard. But at first the boy did not even know where he was. Everything around was burned out, it was black, and Ognilda danced on the ashes.
Meridon waved his magic wand and shouted:
— There is water in the glass!
The house is in trouble!
Bird in a cage!
Ognilda is in the dungeon!
Silver rain poured from the sky. The evil sorceress howled, crumbled into a million sparks and turned into a fiery dog.
The good wizard waved his wand again and repeated the spell. Ognilda again exploded with a fiery salute and turned into a fire.
- Oh, how bad! By your disobedience, Alyosha, you have made her very strong. I can't handle her! Meridon said in horror. His hair was disheveled, and his magical white cloak was covered in black soot.

Alyosha was completely desperate, but then the fire brigade came to their aid. In a big red car, firefighters burst into the yard and started pouring water on Ognilda. She hissed, turned into a small fire, then into a spark, and then flared up for the last time and crumbled to the ground in a pile of ash.

Alyosha looked at the burned house and started to cry.
Never again will I pick up matches. Such a small match, and such a huge misfortune!
Don't cry! Meridon stroked his head. It's good that you understand everything. I'm a magician. I can take everything back.

He began to move his wand in the air and whisper something. Alyosha closed his eyes, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that there was no trace of the fire left. The house, the yard, the trees stood as before. He looked around, Meridon was nowhere to be found.

— What about me? Alyosha got scared. “Am I going to remain a dwarf?”
But no one answered him, because he was so tiny that no one could see or hear him.
Alyosha sat down in the tall grass and began to think what he should do. If everything could be returned back, then he would never touch the matches for anything in the world. But time cannot be turned back. And now the good wizard cannot be returned either.
"Don't cry," he suddenly heard a quiet voice.

Stories of firefighters

Top 8 heartwarming firefighter stories of 2020

1. Firefighter-paramedic donates part of liver to retired police officer after seeing Facebook post

2. Fla. first responders buy groceries for woman struggling to pay medical bills

3. First responders in pink gear surprise girl, 10, diagnosed with leukemia

4.

5. Anonymous donor leaves boxes of ppe on north Carolina fire engine

6. Added Force: Baby Yoda a boost on Western wildfire lines

7. Firefighters use ladder to reunite mom, daughter at nursing home

8. Firefighters help replace kids' baseball cards destroyed in California's largest wildfire

About the author

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