By Karen Vibert-Kennedy and Dave Kennedy
Sun-Gazette (Pa.) via Kentucky Today
When Mat Post asked himself, “What can we do as a community to help the tornado victims?” his fellow volunteer firefighters answered the call with enough donations of turn-out gear, hoses, and serviceable fire equipment to fill three trailers.
Along with the apparatus, the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Company in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, decided to donate an entire fire truck, Engine 12.
Within a couple of days of putting out the word for donations, which came in from area fire companies, a crew of volunteers was ready to set out to Mayfield to present the Mayfield-Graves County Fire and Rescue with nearly $2 million worth of gear.
The fire company in Mayfield lost everything, including their station house, in the recent tornados.
Post, who is a volunteer with Stations 39 and 12, was overwhelmed at the generosity of the community.
“Thank you,” he told the crowd of more than 100 who came to see them off at Station 12 in Clinton Township on Friday evening.
“We have got ourselves quite the community. It’s gonna be an adventure for all of us, it’s gonna be heartbreaking, there is gonna be some tears and a whole lot of hugging going on,” Post said shortly before the group’s departure for the 800-mile trip.
The convoy of four pickup trucks, three towing trailers and a semi hauling a lowboy, courtesy of Ground Shaker carrying Engine 12, received a state police escort all the way to Interstate 80 and a send-off from fellow firefighters that lined Route 15 in South Williamsport to wish them well.
The team of volunteers drove all night, only stopping to refuel their trucks three times and communicating through hand-held radios.
The conversations on the radios ranged from light banter about favorite energy drinks, which were in ample supply for the 12-hour trek, to joking about if they had brought the keys to Engine 12. Along the way, the team reflected on the magnitude of what this delivery would mean for their brothers in Kentucky.
“Guys, this might be the most important thing I’ve done in my life,” Post said, to which the rest of the team echoed his sentiment.
The group arrived at the temporary Mayfield-Graves Fire and Rescue Station, set up in a farmer’s barns just outside of town, at about around 9 a.m. Saturday, and began the process of unloading Engine 12 at its new home. The three trailers of firefighter gear were unloaded into three different barns.
An emotional Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Todd Winder backed the truck off the lowboy.
“It’s my baby; I can’t believe it’s leaving us,” he said. “It has been a good truck; it will be a good truck for you guys, trust me.”
Even after driving all night, the crew spent all day getting the engine ready to put into service in its new home. Hoses were laid on the back of the truck, and hose fittings were changed.
Chief Winder spent hours explaining the long list of operations and features of the truck to all the firefighters who would now be its new owners.
Capt. Jason Buckman of the Mayfield-Graves Fire and Rescue was overwhelmed at the generosity of the crew from Lycoming County.
“Words can’t describe the help we have received — we don’t even know how to thank everybody. To have this today is a blessing that I can’t even describe,” said an emotional Buckman.
The Mayfield-Graves County firefighters were out on calls when they lost their station, not even knowing the first 3-4 hours that their station was completely gone.
“Someone came by and said to the chief, ‘your station is gone,’” Buckman said.
The tornado was so powerful a 10 by 20-foot chunk of the concrete floor of the station, along with all their gear, is completely gone.
“That gives you an idea of what the tornado was like there at the station,” Buckman said.
The group from Lycoming County started for home on Saturday after more handshakes, hugs and thanks from the Mayfield-Grave firefighters.
“I am glad we could help. Post started this thing, and we have been overwhelmed,” Winder said.
Some fire departments made three trips to bring supplies to donate, he noted.
“We are glad to help, and we don’t want nothing for it. We are just hoping that if, God forbid, something like this happened to us, somebody would reach out,” Winder said before the group departed.
“We help our fallen,” Post told the Lycoming County Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, of what had prompted the local fire company to help their “brothers and sisters” following the tornado’s devastation.
“It was life-changing, life-altering,” he added.
Post and Winder, along with Larry Stout, public information officer for the fire company, were on hand at the meeting to share their experience gathering the supplies and the time they spent in Kentucky.
Winder described the site that had once been the Mayfield-Graves fire station. He shared how the chief had told him that they usually tell people to look for the water tower in town, and the fire station is right below it.
“Well, there’s basically a torn-up building and a water tower in pieces beside it,” Winder said.
“It reminds you…of war-torn Europe, Germany where everything is just bricks and blocks and old buildings. The destruction is incredible,” he added.
Engine 12 did not waste any time beginning its new venture in Kentucky, responding to a house fire on Saturday night with the Mayfield-Graves Fire and Rescue and a vehicle accident shortly thereafter.
Capt. Buckman is adamant Engine 12 will serve the residents and volunteers of the Mayfield-Graves community for a long time, just as it faithfully served Lycoming County.
“Our department has been blessed — this engine is going to serve us for many years,” Buckman said.