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I'm a volunteer fire fighter with the Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire Department here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Yesterday - 9/11/06 - I went to our station to do some work on an ongoing project. When I arrived I found someone had placed some flowers on the door to our station, wrapped in a paper towel to keep them moist. This was clearly a gesture in remembrance of 9/11.
Whoever you are, I thank you.
I'm very new to the department, and I speak only for myself, but I have found it humbling to be part of this organization. It's even more humbling when I encounter the community response to our efforts, and to be remembered on 9/11.
Again, I thank you.
I joined the LPVFR on my 41st birthday in 2005 and then spent nearly a year in training before I could go on my first call. In the few months since I have been paged out nearly 60 times at all hours of the day, responding to accidents, fires, smoke checks, and medical aid calls. I've seen the long time members of the department take care of people, and I continue to learn from them as they do so. I hope I have provided some care and reassurance as well.
The department trains regularly and I do my best to keep up. We have to keep those seldom used skills fresh so we can safely respond to unusual cases when needed. As one of the newest members of the department, I know my my practical experience is limited, but I also know that the people I work with will watch over me and make sure the job gets done correctly as I learn.
Some of my friends and family have asked why I joined the fire department. After all, fighting fires is a job for young people and I'm about 20 years older than most people entering the profession. It's also a radical departure from my past career in high tech. So why? The answer is simple: this is my home, these are my friends and neighbors, and taking care of these people and this place is important to me. It's a way for me to give back to a community that is more vibrant, active and accepting than I could possibly have imagined when I moved here.
So again, thank you. Thank you for letting me live here with this amazing group of people. Thank you for letting me be a part of this community. And thank you for remembering your fire fighters on 9/11. Though we are thousands of miles and 5 years from that terrible day, it touched us all. As did a few flowers on a fire station door.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Jeffry R. Powell
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