New Firefighters Face Fire for the First Time
JACKSON, Tenn. — With cold temperatures like the ones West Tennessee is seeing now, firefighters are more likely to fight fires. On Friday, the Madison County Fire Department brought in nine new firefighters. “You just want to be there to help someone in need. Anyway you can, whether it be putting out a fire or getting a cat out of a tree,” Zach Cummings, a firefighter-in-training, said. Friday night, nine Madison County residents put their best foot forward and decided to become a part of the Madison County Fire Department. Madison County’s Fire Chief said they could not come in at a better time. “It’s nice to have new folks, eager and ready to go to work. It’s important. It’s a busy time of year for us, so its always nice to have extra help,” Chief Eric Turner said. One spectator said her brother, who is training tonight, is her hero. “They’re excited about saving people and they come out and they’re so pumped and they want to keep doing it. That saves someone’s life and its really awesome,” Cadye Long said. For another resident, watching the training inspired her to fight fires too. “I live for it, and just going in a burning building and putting it out and actually saving something for that family, giving them closure, it would make me feel like a better person,” Shelby Bradford said. The firefighters training said this is just the beginning, for how they plan to serve Madison County residents. “It’s just a call to serve. Whether it be fighting fire or whatever community needs. Some people just have that drive to help,” Cummings said. The nine new firefighters, who have been training since last year, will graduate Tuesday night. They are then eligible to respond to fires.
