AVR Appraisals, LLC Blog

My husband is a firefighter and Asheville’s recent tragedy has struck close to home for me.  I didn’t know Captain Jeff Bowen, but I know what about one third of his life was like.  On a typical day at the station he and other firefighters work to keep their fire station clean.  They keep the fire trucks and other equipment clean.  They eat and sleep at the station.  They are first responders to medical emergencies.  They respond to motor vehicle accidents.  They respond to false alarms.  They provide medical and emergency backup for events such as this weekend’s Bele Chere.  They provide community service events for children on what to do in case of a fire.  They are expected to physically train on their own and be physically fit.  They train while at work on how to rescue citizens from wrecked vehicles, from flooding rivers, from burning buildings, from collapsed trenches, from any scenario you can think of, they’ve trained for it.  They might get a visit from family members when their shift falls on a weekend or a holiday.  There are also times when they sit at the station all day with no calls - a good day in my opinion.  In a town the size of Asheville, there aren’t many fire calls.  There are the occasional brush fires, car fires, small cooking fires, or out of control backyard camp fires.  Then there are the structure fires.  They’ve trained for each of these events and most times all goes well.  When I kiss and say goodbye to my husband on his way to work I expect that about 24 hours later he will return home safe and sound after a typical day at work.  On Thursday, July 28, 2011 all did not go well for some firefighters working that day.  It was not a typical day at the fire station.  Captain Jeff Bowen lost his life and other firefighters were injured in their efforts to protect our community.  Although everyone knows the dangers a firefighter can encounter, I expect that the families of each of these firefighters expected their loved ones to return from work safe and unharmed, as always.  Thursday’s fire has been a powerful reminder to me that there’s always that chance that a typical day at the fire station can easily become atypical and dangerous.  I know that when my husband leaves for work this morning, I will take extra time to hold him close and hope for a typical day at the fire station. 

To the family, friends, and colleagues of Captain Jeff Bowen my thoughts and sympathies are with you in your time of grief.  To all firefighters, thank you for your service in the protection of our communities.  Thank you for your sacrifices and may you have a typical day at the fire station.