The brotherhood of firefighting is alive and well thanks to the efforts of Paramedic Eric Miller, the Eldora Fire Department in Iowa, and the Wescott Fire Department. Eric Miller, who works for American Medical Response (AMR) of Colorado Springs and is assigned to the ambulance stationed at Wescott, spearheaded an effort to aid the Henry Volunteer Fire Department who lost all their equipment and their station after Hurricane Rita hit. Mr. Miller was deployed to the area in southwest Louisiana after Rita devastated the coastal areas and was amazed at the level of destruction he found there. “I had never seen anything like what I saw in Henry,” said Miller, “the people there lost everything.”
Once he returned to Colorado Springs, Miller started making phone calls to local departments. Capt. Scott Ridings and Chief Jeff Edwards were more than willing to help. The Wescott Fire Department had a 1988 Rescue/Fire Truck that they were getting ready to sell and Chief Edwards realized this would be a much better use of the equipment. Firefighter Shannon Balvanz contacted the Eldora Fire Department in his hometown of Eldora, Iowa and they donated five complete sets of bunker gear, one for each seat on the fire truck.
With the approval of the Wescott Board of Directors, Capt. Ridings and Paramedic Miller started working to make the truck serviceable and stocked with basic equipment, as well as a complete set of extrication tools. The department put on new tires, new batteries, and did some basic work on the fire pump. New decals and signs for the Henry Fire Department were procured by Paramedic Miller and placed on the truck.
On April 14th, Capt. Ridings and Miller left for Louisiana, driving straight through for 20 hours. When they arrived in Vermilion Parish the day before Easter, they were taken in by a local family who are members of the department. They were treated to a crawfish boil and an airboat ride, as well as a tour of the still devastated area. On April 17th at a specially called meeting of the volunteers, the truck was unveiled to the firefighters and the keys and title where handed over. Ridings and Miller were made honorary members of the department. Ridings said the members of the department were amazed by the donation and that the engine would be immediately placed into service.
