First off – A long past due Thank You to the Corvallis Rural Fire District: trustees, officers and firefighters, for sending their Command vehicle all the way to Hardin, to lead the hearse from my son’s funeral to the ceremony. He was killed in a tragic accidental excavator accident while volunteering to help rebuild a washed out river dike that was flooding beet fields. Then they delivered and planted a blue spruce tree to our yard as a living memorial for us.
Now after seeing all the engines and water tenders – Corvallis, Pinesdale, Hamilton, Victor and Stevensville – responding to Hamilton Heights Road to a large structure fire, after all the years of training in Ravalli County on Mutual Aid, Fire Ground Safety, and Rural Water Supply, it shows that in action, we have the best there is! All the most advanced apparatus and equipment on the scene, all volunteer firefighters in their turnout gear and SCBA’s on their backs, making the fire scene safe. All the engines staged and flowing water as needed. The rural water supply in place with eight water tenders rotating to unload and return to the fill site set-up by Hamilton Volunteer Fire at the hydrant on Old Corvallis Road.
I ask all of you reading this that next time you see a Volunteer Firefighter to tell them thank you! For all the hours they give free to Ravalli County. It is such a great service they give us, all the hours they spend away from their family and friends to train and at any emergency that we call them to! Just to get better for us whenever they are needed again day or night!
Jay M. Gasvoda
Sula