Feeling the rush
Firefighters put lives on line for community
By Cathy Krafve featires@bullardnews.com

Editor's Note: The story, because of length and detail, is continued from last week's edition of the Bullard Banner News

Their ranks include paramedics, professional firefighters, retired US Air Force, military and coast guard, National Guard reservists, and folks with everyday jobs.

They are described as fearless, decisive, analytical, sacrificial, loyal, and compassionate.

Pretty impressive stuff, especially when not one of them gets paid.

Each and every one, from the chief to the newest recruit, serves the community for love,

not money.

Jonathan "Snack Pack" Falwell, like many of

firefighters, started hanging out at the station with friends and was a crucial part of the team almost before he knew what happened. Newburn described him as one who "lives large."

Then there's "Hoss and Moss," that is, Amanda "Hoss" Riley and Ashley Moss. Riley is a heavy truck mechanic with the National Guard. Moss, who lettered in volleyball and basketball at Bullard High, is "a force to be reckoned with," said Bullard Fire Chief Keith Newburn.

Just like real siblings, they have an affectionate rivalry going over who gets to ride shotgun in the lead truck. With the passenger seat next to the chief comes the privilege of relaying his orders over the headsets to the rest of the team.

Every family has its clown and Darwin Fuller fills that role. He is an industrial fire fighter at an oil refinery. "He is rock-solid on firefighting and keeps us laughing when things get tough," Newburn said, recounting the first time Jared Crotty attended a meeting with his twin brother Jesse. Both men wear their heads shaved and look similar from the back.

Jared was seated with his back to the door when Darwin walked in and planted a big kiss on the back of his head, thinking that he was pestering his buddy, Jesse.

Imagine the surprised looks on both their faces when Jared turned around.

Jesse "the Bull" Crotty is a professional firefighter with the Longview Fire Department, described as bold and is so muscular that he has to bring his own equipment because standard equipment won't fit.

Jared and Jesse aren't the only ones to have real family on the team.

Bryan Smith, who is a Tyler Junior College student with a tennis scholarship by day, is also Captain Richard Smith's son.

Jason "Red" Hendrix who Newburn describes as daring, is a petroleum land man and was recently joined on the team by his father, J.C. Hendrix who is retired from the phone company.

Newburn describes Lynn Brown as focused and he ought to know since they grew up together, along with Brown's twin sisters, Donna and Darla.

Now Donna's daughter, Lindsay Brown, has joined her uncle at the BVFD.

Lynn was a Junior Fire Fighter back in the 70's and Lindsay became one, too, as soon as she turned 14.

Andy Ellis's dad is a firefighter with the North Cherokee VFD.

Newburn describes Ellis as loyal, one who enjoys working on his four-wheeler and "cuttin' up" when he's not helping keep the big trucks rolling.

There are two "honorary" firefighters on Newburn's list, two men who are professional firefighters in other communities, but happen to come home to Bullard in the evenings, Danny Rozell and, his son, Eric.

They have five other relatives who are all retired fire fighters, making a family grand total of seven.

Twenty-eight of the 30- team members are described above, so who is missing? There has to be somebody else on the roster with the last name Newburn.

The chief has four children, two of whom, Gary and Brian, serve on the BVFD.

His oldest son, Patrick, is studying psychology in college because, as his dad says with a grin, "somebody needs to figure out our family."

Gary Newburn, described as fearless, graduated from Bullard High School in May.

He almost didn't make it across the stage, though, because the team was called out on a serious car accident near Mount Selman in the hours before the ceremony.

Keith, Gary, and Brian all went to help the rest of the team with duties that included cutting a patient out of the car with rescue tools.

As they were working, the team received and had to respond to two more wrecks at the same time.

The Newburns finished their part and hastily returned home to dress for graduation. As the whole family was driving to the ceremony, they received a fourth call.

Gary's comment was "they can mail me my diploma; I'm going to make that call."

Fortunately, it turned out to be all smoke and no fire, Newburn says with a laugh, "which was good because my wife had threatened to commit hari cari on me and my boys if we missed graduation!"

Gary's teammates know that his favorite spot is on the ladder, with nothing between him and the fire but 45 feet of air and smoke, pointing a master stream nozzle at the flaming enemy.

Each fire takes on an entity of its own and each one is uniquely unpredictable.

Brian Newburn, described as impetuous, counted the days until he could join the team. The day before his 14th birthday, he asked his father, "You know what tomorrow is, don't ya? "

It was Monday -- a meeting at the fire station.

That's how it came about that Brian's dad nominated him to be Junior Fire Fighter on the exact day of Brian's 14th birthday.

The boys are not the only Newburns born into the firefighting heritage. Newburn arrived at the hospital covered in soot and still smelling of smoke when he heard that his wife Betty was on her way to the hospital to deliver Heather Newburn 11 years ago.

That particular fire was the third time that the Mullins House had been struck by lightening.

Betty sent him back to Bullard and told him not to return to the hospital until the fire was out and he had taken a shower.

Newburn arrived later that afternoon in time to help deliver Heather, a privilege that you could say was the delightful by-product of the additional 120 hours of advanced emergency medical training Newburn has added over the years to the 450 hours of training necessary to be a firefighter.

It makes sense, then, that the name Newburn would appear on the original roles of the BVFD at its inception. Newburn's grandfather, Press Newburn, was part of a visionary group of civic leaders who saw the need for a volunteer fire department in the 1950's.

When lightening struck the Mullin House the first time, Press was there.

Then in the 60's, when lightening struck it again, Newburn's father, Pat Newburn, joined Press to put out the fire. Pat used to let Keith and all the Bullard children ride on the back of the truck during fundraisers.

Sometimes there were as many as 50 kids hanging onto the back of the truck.

Nothing quite like growing up in a small town in the 60's.

With so much talk about family, you have to wonder is it in the blood or in the genes?

After years of being there when people have a crisis, Newburn knows the thing he's learned to appreciate is life.

"My experience has taught me to appreciate life. Life is precious -- quantity, quality, whatever. Life is precious," Newburn said.

Talking to Newburn, it is clear his life is all about the people he loves and serves.

So what other advice does the chief offer? Oh yeah, watch out for flaming squirrels.