BY TERI R. WILLIAMS
PHOTOS BY RUTH ENGLISH
On a Mission for safety As a fireman, safety
instructor and youth pastor, Captain Robert Tillman is working hard to protect children and families in our community.
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TO O M B S CO U N T Y M A G A Z I N E
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here was no warning—nothing to prepare Robert and Felicia Tillman for the stillbirth of their daughter Alicia at full term. Two more pregnancies would end in early miscarriages in the years that followed. As the years passed, every milestone not shared with their daughter was a harsh reminder of loss. Many years passed before they had processed through the grief of loss enough to talk about it with others. For Captain Robert Tillman, the path forward would lead to a life of service focused on safety for the children in our community. Robert and Felicia met in their church youth group. In 1998, after dating for several years, the two married. For a few years, he worked as a truck driver. In 2003, Chad Ford, one of Robert’s best friends from school, suggested Robert join him in volunteering as a firefighter with the Vidalia Fire Department (VFD). “To be honest, I didn’t know enough about the work of a firefighter to think it would even interest me as a career,” said Robert. Like most people, his only reference for the work of a firefighter was the red engine with flashing lights and a siren rushing to a fire. But as Robert went through the training to become a volunteer, he quickly realized that there was a wealth of knowledge, skill, and expertise involved. Firemen may also educate the public on safety, investigate arson, inspect buildings, or participate in search and rescue. In addition, technical rescue incidents necessitate specialized training for structural collapse, rope rescue, confined-space search and rescue, vehicle and machinery rescue, water search and rescue, wilderness search and rescue, and trench and excavation rescue. In 2010, Robert took a full-time position with the VFD. By that time, he was also an ordained minister. Knowing this, the other firefighters jokingly put “Chaplain” on the side of his fire helmet. But Robert decided to make it official and took the required classes for his certification to become chaplain of the VFD. “I’ve been a part of the Firefighter’s Chaplain Association since 2012.”
