性视界传媒

Editor性视界传媒檚 note: This story is part of a series called 性视界传媒淎nswering the Call性视界传媒� about East Texas volunteer firefighters who性视界传媒檝e served their departments for at least 40 years.

WHITE OAK 性视界传媒� The idea had been bouncing around in his mind for a while: joining the fire department.

It was August 1984, and Bill McBride told a friend of his, a volunteer firefighter, that he was going to visit the White Oak Volunteer Fire Department to see about becoming a volunteer himself. He went to the station and found Chief Jimmy Nall working on a tanker truck.

性视界传媒淗e come down off that tank truck and looked at me and he says, 性视界传媒榃ell, this ain性视界传媒檛 no party,性视界传媒� 性视界传媒� McBride said. 性视界传媒淚 said, 性视界传媒榃ell, I didn性视界传媒檛 come up here to party.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒淏ut it性视界传媒檚 been the longest-running party I性视界传媒檝e ever been to: 40 years.性视界传媒�

On Dec. 10, McBride性视界传媒檚 firefighting friends and their families gathered to honor his four decades of service to the town性视界传媒檚 fire department. Joining him at the party were two fellow White Oak firefighters who similarly have given years of their lives in public service: 52-year firefighter Tommy Graves and 40-year firefighter Lewis Reavis.

At 80, McBride still plans to keep answering the call when his community asks for help. But like other volunteers, he性视界传媒檚 concerned about the future of volunteer firefighting: Volunteers are fewer in number, and departments are struggling to recruit young people willing to respond to tragedies to help people in need without getting paid.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 the hardest job you性视界传媒檒l ever do,性视界传媒� he said, 性视界传媒渂ut it性视界传媒檚 the most rewarding job you性视界传媒檒l ever do.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒楧edication to this department性视界传媒�White Oak Fire Chief Cameron Kizzia stated the obvious as he gave a speech honoring McBride: 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檓 going to say a little joke here. You put in more years than most of the firemen have been alive.性视界传媒� The audience laughed.

性视界传媒淏ut that shows your dedication to this community, the dedication to this department,性视界传媒� he said.

That kind of dedication seems rarer today than it once was. In 2020, the National Fire Protection Association reported that the nation had about 676,900 volunteer firefighters 性视界传媒� down from 897,750 in 1984, the year McBride started. Volunteers make up about 65% of the nation性视界传媒檚 firefighting force, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council.

Though rare, that kind of dedication still exists.

McBride has had a passion for firefighting since boyhood. He grew up in Longview性视界传媒檚 Greggton area and wanted to join the volunteer fire department there. But he wasn性视界传媒檛 old enough, and by the time he was, Longview had annexed the community. He graduated from Pine Tree High School in 1962 and worked as a pipe welder, and he went to work for the Schlitz Brewery in Longview in 1976. Eight years later, he began a career that pays nothing and demands much of its laborers.

For 40 years, he性视界传媒檚 jumped out of bed in the middle of the night or dropped whatever family engagement he性视界传媒檚 in the middle of whenever duty calls. House fires. Fatal car wrecks. Medical emergencies. The list goes on.

Those situations arise no matter how well-rested a firefighter is or isn性视界传媒檛. After working another long night at the brewery, McBride would come home to take a nap, hopefully. But often, the fire alarm would wake him up.

Fellow firefighter Graves would call him on the radio and tell him where to meet. If those two were the only volunteers available, they would respond alone. No matter how long the ordeal lasted, McBride would be back at work for the next shift.

McBride性视界传媒檚 sons, Kirt and Billy, knew their dad could be called away at any time, day or night. But he didn性视界传媒檛 let fires burn up time he needed to give his family.

When Billy was 13, the family was planning a trip to Six Flags. When his father was dispatched to a house fire, he thought their trip had gone up in smoke, too 性视界传媒� especially considering that firefighters were dispatched to the house a few times because the fire was stubborn and refused to die.

But once the work was done, the family性视界传媒檚 trip went on as planned, even though his father must have been exhausted.

性视界传媒淚f he commits to doing something or tells you that he性视界传媒檚 going to do something, it性视界传媒檚 going to be done no matter what性视界传媒檚 going on,性视界传媒� Kirt McBride said.

The sacrifice of volunteers is something most people aren性视界传媒檛 aware of, Kirt McBride said. They性视界传媒檝e got families, full-time jobs and other aspects of life they put on hold when duty calls 性视界传媒� when people in their community are having the worst experiences of their lives.

性视界传媒淲hat they性视界传媒檙e fixing to go do is strictly dedication out of their heart,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not because they have to. It性视界传媒檚 not because they signed up for a career. They性视界传媒檙e volunteering their time.性视界传媒�

Kirt McBride called his father a 性视界传媒渟acrificial dad性视界传媒� 性视界传媒� one willing to do 性视界传媒渨hatever it took for us to be OK.性视界传媒�

Sitting across the table from his brother Billy, he said: 性视界传媒淪eeing that and carrying that with me has made both of us who we are.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒楽omebody性视界传媒檚 got to do it性视界传媒�Reavis, 83, started his professional firefighting career in Beaumont just because he needed a job. It became something more.

He made a career change, becoming a salesman and moving his family to Shreveport. They moved to White Oak in 1978 so his children could go to school there.

Reavis went to sign his boys up for a baseball team, but as it turned out, there were more boys wanting to play than teams for them to join. So, he ended up becoming the coach of a new team. The son of White Oak性视界传媒檚 assistant fire chief was on it.

Of course, word got back to the boy性视界传媒檚 father quickly that his coach had been a firefighter. He was paid a visit.

性视界传媒淭hat night, I got a knock on my door,性视界传媒� Reavis said. 性视界传媒淭hey said, 性视界传媒楥ome up next Monday,性视界传媒� and I went up there and was up there for 40 years.性视界传媒�

Reavis retired about four years ago. For 36 of his 40 years, he served as assistant chief. He性视界传媒檚 battled countless blazes, including the deadly 2011 wildfires that swept across East Texas.

But his favorite, most exciting memories from his time with the department aren性视界传媒檛 the times he and his friends have been spraying water on burning buildings and brush. Oftentimes, firefighters are the first to respond to medical emergencies, arriving even before ambulance crews.

性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檝e been on a good many births, either just before it happened or just after it happened, and the ambulance crew would come up,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淏ut there was one night they were out of pocket, the ambulance crew. And when we got there, it was time for it to come, and Bill and I delivered that baby.性视界传媒�

Fortunately, it was a natural birth. Reavis ended up signing the birth certificate at the hospital the next day.

性视界传媒淭he boys called me 性视界传媒榙octor性视界传媒� after that,性视界传媒� he said.

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But firefighting isn性视界传媒檛 always so hopeful and life-giving. Each call that a firefighter responds to could be his last. Like any first responder, there性视界传媒檚 no guarantee he性视界传媒檒l be coming home alive.

性视界传媒淚t crosses your mind real often,性视界传媒� said Reavis, a former Marine. 性视界传媒淏ut you perform the task because that性视界传媒檚 your duty. It takes teamwork.性视界传媒�

All through his career, the desire to serve his community kept him going: 性视界传媒淪omebody性视界传媒檚 got to do it.性视界传媒�

That性视界传媒檚 not to say, however, that his service is burdensome. In spite of the hardship, was his work enjoyable?

性视界传媒淚 wouldn性视界传媒檛 have kept it up if it hadn性视界传媒檛 have been,性视界传媒� he replied.

Camaraderie helped stoke the flames of Reavis性视界传媒� love for firefighting. Like hoses to a hydrant, firefighters share a special connection with one another. It性视界传媒檚 a brotherhood 性视界传媒� and a funny one at that.

There性视界传媒檚 plenty of 性视界传媒減icking at people,性视界传媒� he said, adding that 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 a bond that you can性视界传媒檛 describe.性视界传媒�

And there性视界传媒檚 really nothing like helping those who can性视界传媒檛 help themselves.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 just so rewarding,性视界传媒� Reavis said. 性视界传媒淵ou can性视界传媒檛 put it into words. When you help people that are in dire need of help, and then they turn around and thank you 性视界传媒� you have served your community.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒業t性视界传媒檚 in my blood性视界传媒�Tommy Graves性视界传媒� wife, Diana, describes her husband性视界传媒檚 service this way: He性视界传媒檚 been on call for 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for 52 years.

Graves joined the department when he was 17, partly because he was bored.

性视界传媒淭hat was my 性视界传媒榟ave fun性视界传媒� thing,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淚 stayed out of trouble.性视界传媒�

He was also keeping alive a legacy of firefighting. His father, Frank, was a White Oak fire chief, and he性视界传媒檚 had other people in his family who were firefighters, too. Graves spent four years with the Kilgore Fire Department and worked as White Oak性视界传媒檚 fire marshal for 23 years.

He性视界传媒檚 done all of that work without a tool most folks take for granted: a left thumb. He lost it when he was in first grade while chopping wood. He was left-handed, so he had to learn to become right-handed and learn to use his left index finger as his thumb.

性视界传媒淭hat is amazing,性视界传媒� Diana said.

Nevertheless, Graves was fast. He was the pivotal player in fire department 性视界传媒減umper races,性视界传媒� a competition among firefighters in which they see who can exit a fire engine, hook up hoses and get water flowing the fastest. Graves helped White Oak beat other departments.

Although it could be fun, firefighting cost Graves.

性视界传媒淚 lost many friends because I was doing that,性视界传媒� he said. In his younger days, he 性视界传媒渄idn性视界传媒檛 have too many girlfriends because I dropped them off and then went to the fire.性视界传媒�

But he found the one he needed: his wife, Diana. They性视界传媒檝e been married for 31 years. A number of studies show that first responders性视界传媒� marriages end in divorce at rates higher than those for other people. She性视界传媒檚 proud that they性视界传媒檝e endured.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 not easy,性视界传媒� Diana Graves said. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 by the grace of God that I性视界传媒檓 still here. It性视界传媒檚 hard. It really is. I性视界传媒檓 at the point now where it doesn性视界传媒檛 bother me so much, but there性视界传媒檚 been times when, you know, it性视界传媒檚 hard. All of a sudden, he just goes, don性视界传媒檛 know where he性视界传媒檚 going, don性视界传媒檛 know when he性视界传媒檚 coming back. And you just have to give it to God.性视界传媒�

Graves isn性视界传媒檛 on the front lines of fires much anymore. He was injured in 2020 during a training exercise. But he still helps firefighters keep cool during hot summer grassfires by distributing water and wet rags.

He性视界传媒檚 hopeful, however, that medical treatments will let him return to firefighting soon.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 in my blood,性视界传媒� Graves said.

Future of firefighting

The Dec. 10 party honoring McBride was a merry affair. Firefighting families gathered at the White Oak Community Building that evening to eat, tell stories from the past year and enjoy one another性视界传媒檚 company.

McBride made a poignant observation. The firefighter with the next longest tenure to his was receiving a plaque commemorating his 15 years of service.

性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檒l take 25 years before they ever get to 40,性视界传媒� he said. That means the department won性视界传媒檛 be giving any of its members a ceremonial brass bell like the one he received for quite some time.

While having younger members is a good thing for the department, the agency isn性视界传媒檛 immune from the recruitment struggles facing other departments, McBride said.

性视界传媒淯sed to, we had 30 volunteer firemen,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淣ow, we性视界传媒檙e down quite a bit. Makes it harder on the ones that are here.性视界传媒�

McBride attributes the decline to an overall shift in society: People don性视界传媒檛 volunteer for anything as much as they used to. They性视界传媒檇 rather pay someone else to do jobs for them than do them on their own 性视界传媒� even tasks such as lawn care.

But in small towns with limited budgets, the cost of a fire department staffed with paid firefighters could be unaffordable. That性视界传媒檚 why those departments are staffed by volunteers to begin with.

In the meantime, though, folks from his generation will keep responding to the call. But for how long?

As long as they can. All these years later, 性视界传媒淚性视界传媒檝e still got a desire to do it,性视界传媒� he said.