Kids for Christ is a combined Sunday School of 32 children, age four through 6th grade, who attend First Presbyterian and Morrison United Methodist Churches in Morrison, IL. On a bitterly cold, Sunday morning, January 27, 2019, adults and 14 children walked from Morrison United Methodist Church across U. S. Highway 30, to keep an appointment with Volunteer Fireman Tim West.
The children had made individual Thank You cards for 30 First Responders, each with a candy bar and package of chewing gum attached. Their mission was to thank Morrison Fire Department “for taking care of us.” The Kids for Christ logo was on each card.
West is shown at left with Fireman Joe Bielema and the students.
Their speaker was Tim West, who will celebrate his fourth year with MFD in May. He “worked a couple years in Iowa before” joining the Morrison Department.
He was asked how quickly the men–who maintain jobs–can respond to a fire call. “Six-to-ten minutes is the quickest response time,” he stated, during which there is a flurry of men getting dressed, some checking maps for destinations, and firemen getting into vehicles. Adult Angela told West, “You’re always the first one here.”
He lives close. “I’ve run to the station,” West admitted, because that is faster than using his vehicle!
He noted during “brush fire season, in the spring and fall, there are a lot of fire calls.” House and furnace calls increase in the fall, too, when “people reignite their heating machine. We get 150 calls a year,” for a variety of reasons West said.
He was asked about becoming a firefighter. “Eighteen years old is the minimum for fire service,” and 65 is the age at which men must retire. “We train internally and take Firefighter I and Firefighter II classes. We take a Driver’s License course in order to drive an engine. I love the medical side” of the job. “The fires are fun, too.”
“Thirty is the maximum” number of firefighters in the local department. “Sterling and Rock Falls firemen are paid positions, and Fulton and Morrison are staffed by volunteers.” When asked about female firefighters, West replied, “We welcome it; no one has approached us.”
Joe Bielma, right, a 34-year veteran fireman, was on site working with on a piece of equipment. He joined West and the children to demonstrate the specialized, protective equipment men wear.
West is show wearing a breathing mask. He demonstrated the noise it makes, to reassure children if they ever are in a building on fire. Also, reflective stripes on clothing will let children know that someone is near to help them. Silas Dolieslager, 11, is dwarfed by a large helmet and heavy coat.
Personal equipment also includes a flashlight and beeper to stay in contact with MFD colleagues during a fire.
A new device that helps firefighters and save lives is a thermal, handheld camera, which clips onto their jacket. It displays a silhouette of an individual who might be unseen inside a dark or smokey structure. This could help locate a fire victim or fire personnel.
Next, the children were informed about the station’s heavy equipment: two brush/ditch trucks; three tankers; two engines; an auto extrication vehicle; a 4×4 to get to rough terrain; a boat; a personnel carrier (pickup truck and trailer.)
Carol Wolf reminded the children to shovel snow away from any fire hydrant near their home. Kids for Christ can be of help to the selfless firemen who aid our community.
