Letter to the Editor: Firefighter for a Day

My husband and I attended the Mansfield Cares Masquerade Ball on Feb. 26. One of the silent auction items was an opportunity to Ride Along with a Firefighter. As a young child growing up in Omaha, Neb., my dad quite often took my brother and me to visit our neighborhood fire station. We were able to climb all over the fire engine, sit in the driver’s seat and even ring the big golden bell. The chief would even turn on the siren for us to hear. The firefighters would demonstrate how they would slide down the pole from the second floor when they would get a call. Only thing missing was a ride on the fire engine. Seventy-five years later that wish came true thanks to the Mansfield Fire Department and the Mansfield Cares silent auction.  

During the bidding time I upped my bid many times with the hope I’d be the winner. As the bids continued to go up, I hesitated about the amount needed to raise the bid. My husband reminded me how much I wanted to win that item and said "Go for it."  You know the saying, happy wife, happy life.

I did not find out for three or four days that I was the winning bidder. I thought I had lost the bid and was very sad until I received the good news. On Oct. 15, I cashed in my winning ticket and spent the morning with B Shift at Fire Station 1. After touring the station with paramedic Andrew Linker, all of us enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by Battalion Chief Levi Clements. As you might imagine, just as we sat down to eat, the station got a call. We all stood up and headed out. Before we were loaded up to leave, the call was called off and we returned to our hot and delicious breakfast.  

I learned so much about the Mansfield Fire Department, the equipment and the true life of a firefighter. I definitely left the station feeling very proud of our city and our fire department. The fire department has some of the best equipment available to help keep our firefighters safe and to provide the best service possible to our residents.

My most impressionable experience was to see how much the firefighters give of themselves to serve and to save the community.  

Thank you, Mansfield Cares, the Mansfield Fire Department and Captain Dollar and his entire team for my Best Day Ever Riding Along with the Mansfield firefighters.

Alice Cox

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