A heroic calling to respond
Just two days after commemoration of the heroic deeds of the first responders of Sept. 11, 2001, a profoundly moving ceremony took place at Kootenai Fire and Rescue.
Sixteen of our friends, neighbors, sons and daughters received their Firefighter 1 badges on Monday night. Chief Ron Sampert administered the oath they pledged to uphold ... to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the United States of America, the State of Idaho and their department and community.
Back in 1991 I met a young man returning home from the Navy. Carl Riegert graduated from Post Falls High School in 1988, joined the Navy and after active duty he served three years in the Navy Reserves. He became a volunteer firefighter with Post Falls Fire Department and then later with the Hayden Fire Department.
After a decade out of the fire service Carl was determined to return to what he loved, helping people and making a difference. He became an EMT and while working to support a family this past year he and the other recruits spent nearly 300 hours in firefighter training. Their reward? They are now on active volunteer status with Kootenai Fire and Rescue with hopes of becoming full-time employees at some later date as openings arise.
In our darkest hours here in our communities these men and women will be the first to respond. They will do it as trained professionals and as caring human beings. Pinning the badge on Firefighter Riegert and congratulating his fellow first responders on Monday night was an honor I'm not soon to forget.
Tomorrow Jeff Thompson and Terrie Lynn Gonzales will celebrate birthdays. Lynda Wright and newly-engaged Harmony Conley are Friday's birthday girls. One of Main Street's biggest fans and my good buddy, Brad Peugh, will blow out his candles on Saturday. On Sept. 19 Wally Connally will be 88! Wally is one of this country's Greatest Generation, serving during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and retiring with the rank of Major after a 26-year military career. Also marking their birthdays on Sunday are Kim Cooper, Rich Kempton and Jeanne Wright. Starting Monday with a celebration will be Julie Chadderdon, Carrie Macias and Craig Brosenne. Stacy Hudson will have help blowing out 30 candles on Tuesday with her newly-expanded family.
A freak home accident in the pre-dawn dark sent me to the doctor's office first thing Tuesday morning. I'll spare the gory details but I'm quite sure I've not caused myself more physical pain in all of my 58 years. Post Falls Family Medicine's Dr. Morgan Ford and nurse Becky Masterman were able to patch me up and even coaxed a chuckle or two in the process.
THERE'S MORE ... at More Main Street see Rev. Earl Hunter at 95, the newly-minted KFRD firefighters and more. New stories and photos added often! I'll be live on KVNI AM 1080 Friday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. with Joe Paisley and Kris Siebers for your listening pleasure. :)
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press. More Main Street blog is at http://moremainstreet.blogspot.com. Kerri can be reached at mainstreet@cdapress.com
Thoreson
Main Street