October 27 – “Fire Pup to the Rescue”

One of the things the superhuman Administrative Assistant of the fire department (A.K.A. Trish) does every year is coordinate Fire Prevention Week activities with local elementary schools.  She arranges for meetings with the kids to show instructional videos, let them see firsthand the turnout gear of a fire fighter, and hear from a “real-live fire fighter” about how his engine is more than just a ride to the fire.  It is a huge tool box that even carries its own water – 750 gallons of it.  I was privileged to witness one of those elementary school sessions yesterday.  Who were the players in this memorable event?  Just take a look at the lineup:

The Boss – Trish Anderson

Fire Pup - Jeremy Progner

Turnout Gear Guy - Matt Gonzalez

The Captain - Willie Roy

Tool Box Truck Man - John Carlson

How could we go wrong with such a prolific crew in charge?

Trish was well into her role as Mama/Teacher/Boss in spite of some laryngitis issues she was working through.  She commands attention just by standing in front of a group.  She did have some help, though.  One of the teachers was standing by with a whistle.  When she blew the code, every student in the place responded with a double clap and instant silence.  I have to admit, it didn’t take the fire fighters long to follow suit. 

My favorite part of the day, of course, was the interaction with the children.  Well, maybe I enjoyed Fire Pup a little too much, but he was so cute when the tiny little girls wanted a hug.  I was wearing my class B short sleeved shirt with my badge and nametag pinned on.  One little guy approached me hesitantly and then let fly a barrage of questions:

“Who is the captain, the lady?”  (That one be an all-time favorite for perception).

I pointed out Captain Roy as the guy with the yellow radio.  That elicited an audible “Oooh.”  I’m not sure if it was for the Cap or for his radio, though.

Then , noting the difference in uniform, he queried: “Are you the chief?”

I assured him I was just the chaplain.  So he pressed, “What do you do?”

Not sure if my answer helped, but he seemed to understand it: “Sometimes when the firefighters come out of a fire or after they have helped someone who was hurt really bad, they feel really sad.  Then they can come talk to me and I try to help them feel better.  I’m like the fire department pastor.” 

Good enough for him, as I said.  By this time I had a tiny entourage, and another one asked, “What do all those things on your shirt mean?”

I explained it this way: “This one is a name tag to show who I am.  My badge shows I am with the Galveston Fire Department.  So does the patch.”

From another in the crowd, “Why does the badge have a cross on it, and what are those other things on your shirt?”

Ah, yes.  I had forgotten about my lapel pins.  “The crosses all show that I am a Christian, and I can pray with them, too.” 

Not sure how all that came across to the kids, but I was honest at every point.

Later as two boys were walking out to see the engine, one of them pointed to my badge and asked, “Is that real?”  I responded, “Yes, it is.  Do you want to touch it?”  He gently brushed it, and then hurried off to his buddy, exclaiming, “I touched a real gold badge.”

One shy little boy approached me while the rest of the group was lining up for the engine tour.  He spoke softly, so I knelt next to him so I could hear.

“I want to tell you a story.  When I was little (This from a second grader, mind you), my Dad was cooking on the furnace and a fire came and the fire fighters and police came and let me show you what I got.”  Here I expected some cute little souvenir that perhaps he had been given by one of the first responders.  Instead he lifted up the long sleeve on his shirt to reveal a burn scar.  I responded,

“So you have seen what happens in a fire, haven’t you?” 

Still in that shy, quiet voice, “Yes, I have.”

“Was everyone else OK?”

“Yes.  They all got outside.”

“Did the house burn?”

“Well, not the whole house.  Just around the furnace.”

I think maybe that little guy should have had a part in the program.

The final story came, not from a student, but from the school’s PE teacher.  He leaned up against the wall next to me as Tool Box Truck Man was explaining the jaws of life. 

“It’s amazing what those things can do.”  And what followed was a pretty intense story of a car wreck his Mom and two cousins were in where the fire fighters had to use the jaws to cut the roof off of the car to reach the passenger.  There were some hospital stays involved, but everyone was eventually OK there as well.    

So … kudos to Trish and her Fire Prevention Team.  I was proud to be identified with what you guys do. 

Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

Father, thank you for the positive connections that were made between those children and the fire fighters yesterday.  Grow those little guys up healthy and happy and well-protected.  Amen.