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The Brotherhood
Every third day I go to work with my extended family. We don't always agree on everything like most families. I take pride in myself, the job that I do, and the organization in which I belong. Sometimes there is indifference with personalities. I look at the open locker doors and I see what is important in my brothers lives. Our families are the most important things in our lives. We are the most important things in our families lives. We celebrate the birth of one of our members children or embrace them when there is loss in the family. Even our departments' Christmas Eve is special, assembling toys for our kids. Sometimes we are very divided on our opinions about things.
A Texas tragedy really pulled our department together. The Lake Worth church fire in February of 1999 is where brothers Brian Collins, Phillip Dean, and Garry Sanders lost their lives in the line of duty. I was on shift the day of the fire and watched the story unfold in the television news.
Lake Worth isn't close to where I work. Neither is Worcester, Mass. or Houston, Texas where we lost brothers and a sister.
This made my heart ache for the families.
I remember attending the memorial service for Collins, Dean, and Sanders with my dad(a retired paid-on-call firefighter) and being stopped by a reporter outside the church. I was reluctant to speak to him. The reporter asked, "Why did you come so far to pay your respects?" I looked at my dad, both of us with tears in our eyes, and replied to the reporter," It doesn't matter where you're from, it's respect" "They would have done it for me"
I never knew Brian Collins, Phillip Dean, or Garry Sanders, but they are my brothers just the same. They did what I do.
Some of our guys stood on the corner and collected money for the fallen firefighters families. I know of one of our guys that went out to the River Oaks Fire Station and helped out by cleaning and mopping and just being supportive.
We sent a engine company to the funerals.
Our different opinions and indifference was gone for a while. We pulled together for our fallen brothers and their families. My heart goes out to my brothers. I never forget what's important. I see what's on the open locker doors every shift.
God bless and keep it safe!
joejoe33
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
A Texas tragedy really pulled our department together. The Lake Worth church fire in February of 1999 is where brothers Brian Collins, Phillip Dean, and Garry Sanders lost their lives in the line of duty. I was on shift the day of the fire and watched the story unfold in the television news.
Lake Worth isn't close to where I work. Neither is Worcester, Mass. or Houston, Texas where we lost brothers and a sister.
This made my heart ache for the families.
I remember attending the memorial service for Collins, Dean, and Sanders with my dad(a retired paid-on-call firefighter) and being stopped by a reporter outside the church. I was reluctant to speak to him. The reporter asked, "Why did you come so far to pay your respects?" I looked at my dad, both of us with tears in our eyes, and replied to the reporter," It doesn't matter where you're from, it's respect" "They would have done it for me"
I never knew Brian Collins, Phillip Dean, or Garry Sanders, but they are my brothers just the same. They did what I do.
Some of our guys stood on the corner and collected money for the fallen firefighters families. I know of one of our guys that went out to the River Oaks Fire Station and helped out by cleaning and mopping and just being supportive.
We sent a engine company to the funerals.
Our different opinions and indifference was gone for a while. We pulled together for our fallen brothers and their families. My heart goes out to my brothers. I never forget what's important. I see what's on the open locker doors every shift.
God bless and keep it safe!
joejoe33
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
[This message has been edited by joejoe33 (edited 05-22-2001).]
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