Please Be Sure And Check Out The Memorial Honoring Those Rescue Workers Of That Tragic Day On

September 11th, 2001

Steven Sossman And Friends

Firemen have learned to lean on each other, and do from time to time.

Our Firemen Are Blessed In A special Way Each Day!

Whether its by fighting a fire,

 responding to a medical emergency,

saving a life

or by just reaching out to the community

with a helping hand.

As you pray,

remember all of the emergency personnel (and their families)

that are ready on a moments notice

for us to depend on

and

lean on when they are needed most.

Lord, Bless Our Firemen and their families

And Keep Them Safe through it all.

The Little Firefighter

The 26 year old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?"

"Mommy, I've always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix! she explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! "And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy one-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting fire hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven.

There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also video taped for the news program.

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor" when you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire?" It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window in his room? Thanks."

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window and 16 fire fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

"Billy, you are," the chief said.

With those words, Billy closed his eyes one last time.

Author Unknown

Friends this is what our fire men do, when no one's looking!

Not only in Phoenix, Arizona but all over the United States. These men and women who come to our rescue in the time of our needs are truly angels sent from heaven above and they should be honored by all of us and treated with the up most respect by one and all.

Other related stories located on this site is:

Mother

A Dad's Poem

Camping can be and is fun, a great outing, but carelessness can become destructive and deadly.

Many forest fires are started from careless campers and/or lightning.

Our sister-n-law Lynn found this picture very interesting as do we.

It shows a helicopter dipping its BIG Bucket into a nearby lake... to extinguish water on to a nearby fire.

These fires not only steal the beauty from you and me; but they take away homes and lives of the innocent or anyone standing in there way and our firemen give no thoughts as the alarm sounds to leave their families to protect our environment along with people like you and me.

Many times fire fighters are away from home for weeks on end, leaving their families to care for the things in their lives as they rush out in unity to fight another fire such as this one in the Ponderosa Pines, above Porterville, California.

This is in honor of our family,  friends and rescue workers;  who are firemen and many times jack of all trades as their profession allows.  But this page also honors their families who also give so many lonely hours and their support to their loved one who spends hours on end away from home.

By all means these aren't the only hero's, look around in your own community and it never hurts friend to give our support, prayers and love to those men and women who rush to our aid in a moments notice.

God Bless Our Firemen and their families!