HELPING HANDS Sumner County Fire Buffs give aid to the ones who serve

Sumner County Fire Buffs give aid to the ones who serve

Story by JEN CALHOUN | Photography by MATT LEDGER

Long hours in the heat or freezing cold can take their toll on first responders, especially when they are battling fires or dealing with tense standoffs. During those events, police and firefighters often rely on others to bring them water, food or aid.

But in smaller and more rural communities where resources are tight, many first responders go without. That’s why Mark Harrington started the Sumner County Fire Buffs - Rehab 83, a nonprofit organization that deploys volunteers to help firefighters and police during long and physically stressful calls.

“It’s up to the fire chief or police chief to ask us to come,” says Harrington, a career firefighter, EMT and volunteer firefighter. “When we arrive, we cater to their needs. You have to remember that they might not have eaten for a while, and then they do physically demanding work in the heat or cold for what could be hours.

“We provide drinks to hydrate them and snacks to replenish their calories,” he says. “If it’s a hot day, we can help them get their protective gear off, sit them in the shade or underneath a canopy, put the fan on them and get their body temperature back down. We want to keep them hydrated and healthy and prevent unforeseen medical issues.”

With the supplies aboard the rehab truck, firefighters are able to clean up after fighting fires.

WHAT’S A FIRE BUFF?

First responder rehabilitation units like these have long been around in larger cities and areas with more resources, Harrington says. But rural areas with volunteer fire departments often rely on each other to stay refreshed during long and tough calls.

Harrington remembers a time when he responded to a fire as a firefighter and the drinks ran out during a particularly long call. One of the officers made a midnight run to a convenience store. “It wasn’t practical, and it wasn’t the best-case scenario,” he says.

The Sumner County Fire Buffs - Rehab 83 unit helps first responders recover during long, exhausting calls.

The aid the fire buffs offer falls under rehabilitation services. A report from the U.S. Fire Administration noted in its Emergency Incident Rehabilitation report that the “physical and mental demands associated with firefighting and other emergency operations exceed those of virtually any other occupation.” And the Federal Emergency Management Agency requires a rehabilitation sector to help all emergency workers on the ground during incidents that are large in nature and long in complexity and duration.

While the studies are clear on the need for rehab services, resources for those services are still scarce in many places. “We’re small and we’re nonprofit, but we exist to close that gap some,” Harrington says. “We don’t receive dedicated funding from cities or counties, so we rely on private donations from businesses and individuals.”

The fire buffs offer food, drinks, blankets and other recovery items to first responders.

HELP FROM WESTMORELAND

When Harrington and others started forming the group, some of their biggest support came from the City of Westmoreland and its first responders. “Westmoreland has been a supporter from day one,” he says. “They donated equipment, helped us write policy and procedures, and they gave us the guidance we needed to put things into practice. They also helped get the community behind us.”

Fire Buff board members from the front left are Jessica Esquilla and Kim Rice. From back left are Chuck Swan, Jeanne Zarr, Mark Harrington and Tammy Georges. Not pictured is Nicki Switcher.

After a presentation from Harrington, Westmoreland City Council members also helped the fire buffs find a place to leave their truck in town so it could be close and easily deployed. “The police chief and the fire chief spoke on our behalf,” he says. “I cannot stress enough how thankful we are to the City of Westmoreland and the leadership there.”

The group and its outreach efforts continue to grow, Harrington says. The Sumner County Fire Buffs had about 25 members in early May, nearly 12 of whom responded to incidents. Currently, the group helps first responders in Sumner and Robertson counties. They hope to purchase more equipment to help them continue their efforts across the region.

Mark Harrington, a firefighter and EMT, founded the Sumner County Fire Buffs.

“All our scheduling of volunteers is done through an app, and when we have a call, we get a text alert. Almost everything we do is digital,” Harrington says. “We also connect with the public through all our social media platforms. I really want to get to that point where we can afford an iPad for our vehicles with internet capabilities. We could fill out our reports on the scene, so we don’t have to do it after a long shift.” 

FILLING A NEED

For more information on the Sumner County Fire Buffs, visit the group’s website at rehab83.com. In addition to information on becoming a member and other ways to support the group, the website offers links to the Fire Buffs’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. To cover expenses, the group relies on private donations from individuals and businesses. The Fire Buffs also hold fundraisers, accept donations of resources and sell reflective address signs.