I was
once again asked to do the invocation and benediction at the Galveston Fire Department
Badge Pinning and Awards Ceremony last night.
I have to say it was one of the best organized and carried out in the
five years I have been chaplain. So I
suppose kudos right at the top have to go to Trish Anderson for all the work
she puts into stuff like this.
It
was held at the San Luis Hotel in one of their ballrooms. Very nice facility. Two problems.
One was handled quickly. It was a
bit warm in the room. But that could be
explained by problem number two. There
were so many people in attendance. The
hotel had to scrounge up more and more chairs so folks could be seated before
we could even begin. Thanks to all the
family and friends who came to encourage your own fire fighter.
There
was an addition to the program this year.
For the first time a guest speaker was asked to share about what life as
a fire fighter is really like. Chief
Kiplinger from the Nacogdoches Fire Department did a great job. Funny, entertaining, and all the while
letting us in on some of the little and not so little considerations of being
in the fire service. I especially
enjoyed his brief historical trek. From
Augustus Caesar appointing freemen fire fighters in 6 A.D. to early fire
brigades to that earliest of fire departments in Texas … Galveston. Nice job, Chief.
The retirees
were presented with plaques and given a chance to speak. One chose to pass, one spoke briefly. And then there was Captain Paul Chide. He had some things to say and people to
thank, so he took full advantage of his opportunity. He acknowledged those in rank above him as
well as those who have served under his command, including Fire Chief Wisko,
himself. Well spoken, Cap. You all will be missed.
The
department recognized fourteen promotions.
Four new engineers, no less than seven new captains, two battalion
chiefs and one assistant chief. That means
there has been a lot of moving around from station to station and shift to
shift, so this year will certainly be one of adapting to change.
On
the personnel side, Chief Wisko recognized our new Emergency Management coordinator,
Niki Bender. That’s a significant
position, especially during hurricane season.
There were also five new hires welcomed into the department and sworn in
by City Secretary Janelle Williams. One of
my favorite parts of the ceremony has always been watching the rookies receives
their badge and have someone close to them actually pin it on. Dads, wives, girlfriends, and even children
get to be a part of the experience. The beaming
faces and the flashing cameras reflect the sense of pride that comes with being
a part of the fire service family. Welcome
to the family.
The commendations
section of the program showed the wildly varying role of the fire department in
today’s world. For example, Captain Varela
gave his oxygen to a victim during the UTMB fire last year, then Fire Fighter
Anderson helped the victim out and returned with the oxygen. Impressive stuff, guys. And all the while Battalion Chief Harrison
directed the scene, even when all of the chiefs arrived on scene. Then
there was the water rescue by the station five crew. Got everyone safely out of the water within
twelve minutes. That’s amazing. On the other side of “service,” Engine two
company responded to a medical call where a gentleman collapsed while mowing
his grass. They took care of the medical
need, then returned to finish mowing the guy’s lawn. Nice job in a whole other realm of nice
job-ness. And in the realm of
behind-the-scenes-ness, new Battalion Chief Morgan was recognized for his
service as temporary emergency management coordinator. I was surprised with a
commendation bar this year for “service to the department.” I appreciate the honor, but I think I
understand a little better now when a fire fighter responds to accolades with, “Just
doing the job.” All I’m trying to do is
figure out what the job is, and do it the best I can. Chief Wisko did make a crack about me being
the only one in the department allowed to have a beard, though. Hey, I gotta let these guys live out their
beard dreams through me.
One final
word. The honor guard presented and
retrieved colors in their usual sharp, professional way. I never cease to be amazed at their
commitment to quality. It reflects well
on those individual fire fighters as well as on the department as a whole. Couldn’t be prouder of you honor guard men. In fact, I couldn’t be more proud and honored
to be considered a part of Galveston Fire Department. Thank you for the chance to serve you.
1
Peter 2:7 says, “Now to you who believe,
this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the
builders rejected has become the capstone.’”
Father,
once again I find myself lifting up the fire fighters. Keep them in your hands. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment