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VOL. XXXV, NO. 13
P.O. BOX 73, WILLIAMS, OREGON 97544 July
1, 2006
E-mail williamsnews@apbb.net
Williams Fire Department Support Group
Recently we talked with Mary Patterson who 16 years ago was one of the founding members of the Williams Fire Department Support Group. With no state money or funds from other agencies, this group of volunteers raised enough money from local donations, yard sales, spaghetti and chili feeds to build the firehouse, buy and outfit the support truck, and purchase the jaws of life. The ‘jaws’ was used the first week they had it to free someone from a wreck. Their latest acquisition was coveralls with pockets containing emergency essentials for our first responders. They can just step into them and they are ready to go. It is probably one of the reasons our firefighters have such a fast response time.
The support truck, one of only a few in the United States, goes out on all calls right along with the fire trucks. It carries bottled water, blankets, Gatorade, fruit snacks, tarps, clothing and a water mister for those who suffer from heat exhaustion.
Mary said that the three most important things that the Support Group needs are bottled water, new volunteers, and storage for their big fire sale. It would be greatly appreciated if when you buy a carton or case of bottled water for yourself, you buy another to donate to the Group! Since there isn’t always someone at the firehouse to accept donations, Mary said to call her at 846-7713 in the early evening and she would be happy to arrange to meet you there. She encourages anyone with a willingness to help and a dedication to the welfare of our community to volunteer. She said the Group needs “new blood” and there are no special requirements to be a volunteer. The day and time of their meetings are posted in the calendar of the Williams News. Since storage of yard sale items can be a problem, the donation of storage space would make their job so much easier. If they had permanent storage, they could collect items throughout the year as they become available and have an even bigger and better sale. If anyone has extra storage space that the Group can use, the value of the rental space can be deducted from your taxes. All other donations are also tax deductible.
The Williams Fire Department Support Group is always there for our community when we need them. It is easy to forget, however, how much they need the Williams community. We can come through for them with BOTTLED WATER, VOLUNTEERS, AND STORAGE SPACE. Their dedication and hard work benefit all of us. They deserve our support and appreciation. The last thing Mary said as we wrapped up the interview was “When you see a firefighter, give ‘em a hug”!
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