Loyal readers know I write a lot of stories about the Wake Forest Fire Department. But I’m here to confess something, not everyone on the force is always friendly, and that doesn’t bother me in the least.
The attraction for me in covering so many Wake Forest Fire Department stories is not the flashing lights and sirens. It’s not even shinning a light on individual firefighters. In fact they really don’t like that and it’s not the real story anyway.
The need for readers and the community-at-large to better understand the Wake Forest Fire Department is because it is a study in how teamwork, brotherhood, and tough guys with hearts of gold come together to serve all Wake Forest area residents regardless of ability to pay, race, creed, color, orientation, religious beliefs, etc. As a team they risk their lives so that on your worst day they can be there to save you as quickly as possible.
But that’s only half the story. It’s one thing to be technically proficient, that can be taught and goodness knows they go through months of training every year. But the bit that can’t be taught is to be kind and sensitive in a time of crisis to people in desperate trouble. That’s what really came shining through from the Jones family house fire tragedy on Saturday night.
I mentioned earlier that some of the firefighters are not always the most friendly at times but there is a perfectly good explanation. If you’ve ever had the experience of standing on the frontline of a fire scene, like I have, with a burning house in front of you and a team of firefighters walking up to it you will notice one distinctive feature, they are laser focused on the job at hand, not being cordial or jovial. And at that moment, that’s what we all want them to be, focused and professional.
But it’s after the fire is out that the Wake Forest Fire Department does things that really matter to the victims of the tragedy. Things you never hear about.
Take the fire last night at 417 Cottesbrook Drive in Wake Forest. Once the fire was out and under control the Wake Forest Fire Department did things that never make the news, but they should.
Last night the Jones family, Scott and Jessica and their 5 week-old boy, 5 year-old boy, 10 year-old girl, and a visiting 10 year-old girl, were at home on Cottesbrook Drive, had been watching the movie Frozen and all had drifted off to sleep.
Jessica awoke to use the breast pump to prepare a bottle for their 5-week-old baby boy. As she was sitting at the kitchen table she noticed an odd smell, she said it was like a “burning smell.” She got up and cracked the door to the garage and black smoke began to flood the house. She slammed the door shut.
Jessica shouted out to alert Scott who immediately got everyone out of the house and then tried to tackle the garage fire using an outside hose. When he lifted the garage door from the outside, the fire took off he said. The little garden hose was no match for the raging garage fire.
Jessica had so many nice things to say about the fire department. When I asked her what she wanted to say to them she said, “They were so helpful, so nice. They just did a great job. They saved most of our pictures and also the pictures on the walls. They put tarps up to save as much of our belongings in our home office. Our whole life was in there and they saved it. They were great and even helped bury our dog.”
But the kindness of the Wake Forest community doesn’t stop there. Jessica said, “Our neighbors have been so loving and caring. People I’ve never met have come out to help us. Our neighbor Tracey owns the house we are sitting in on our street and is letting us stay here for free.”
The initial thought was the fire began from an extension cord that powered a refrigerator in the garage.
The Wake Forest News has started a donation page for the Jones family to assist them at this time of need. If you can afford any donation to assist them at this tragic time, please click here.
