POP POP

It began as any other Saturday shift for Lt Brown. He made his daily duty list and began working on his tasks, cleaning and checking equipment as usual. Around lunch time, Lt Brown had stepped out front to retrieve an item from his truck when a passenger car stopped and needed directions, seeing how this is a common practice for the station, Lt Brown kindly asked the elderly gentleman where he needed to get to.
The 89 year old man spoke of a highway that LT Brown had not heard of before and did his best to assist the gentleman but the more he spoke to the man, the more LT Brown started picking up on cues that something wasn't quite right and this guy was really lost. LT then called the Fire Chief, Chief Apple, cause if anyone knew the road the old man was looking for it'd be Chief.
Once Chief Apple arrived they began asking all kinds of questions and gathered as much info about the man as they could. Soon, they both realized this Elderly man was no where close to home...Chief asked to see his Driver license to better help understand where he might be headed or coming from at least. Florida, it said. They asked the guy if he was from there, he said yes but he lives in Connecticut...
YEAH Connecticut, Ten he began to tell them how he had gotten in an argument with his wife and needed to clear his head, so he got in his car and drove...and drive he did. he stopped at a gas station to refuel but had forgot his card pin so he was on the road again low on fuel, and only had a drink and ice cream sandwich according to the chief and LT's findings. This elderly man had drove over 11 hours and stopped at Fire District 28, a rural fire station in the small community just outside Gibsonville, NC to ask directions!!!
After some researching CHIEF found the man to be living in Connecticut for sure, His license, being from Florida, had emergency contacts attached to it per state mandate, which the chief then called. He was able to reach the mans son and explain what they had going on. The family quicky realized what he had done and miraculously was able to find a flight last minute from CT to Raleigh NC. However being so late they could not rent a car to make the last 2 hours to Gibsonville. That wasn't good enough for Chief Apple. He drove to the RAL airport and waited for the family members of the man, now graciously known as "pop, pop" and took them back to Station 28 where they could reunite.
While all this was unfolding in the background, LT Brown was assisted by a few more volunteers who stopped by to check in on "pop, pop"
Since he'd drove over 11 hrs at his age, one can assume he was exhausted, so Lt Brown gave him a blanket and pillow and showed pop, pop to one of the stations Bunk rooms where Firefighters sleep while manning the station at night. Later, after Pop, pop had rested he asked if itd be any trouble to take a shower seeing how it was getting later in the day and he hadn't had one in a while. Again, Lt Brown showed him the showers that the station personnel can use. They then assumed, but did ask, if Pop,pop would like something to eat. He said yes, and the other volunteer members of the station brought take out from one of the local dinners in town. Pop, pop and the crew sat and talked for a few hours getting to know the Gentleman from CT. "He gave lots of life lessons to the young crowd", as LT Brown put it..
After bit, as most Elders do, they were ready for bed shortly after dark. Once again, LT Brown assisted him to his bunk room and continued to watch over him until Chief came in from Raleigh with the family members.
Around midnight, some 12 hours after Pop,pop was asking for directions, His son was finally able to wake him from his new room at the fire house and ask him if he was ready to go home. One issue that, again the Chief and LT had thought of before it became one, is the fact that Pop,pop, having forgotten the pin number to his card, still hadn't gotten gas, and his car was very low on fuel...
Chief Apple authorized the use of the on station fuel tanks to give Pop, pop and his family gas to get on the road to Connecticut, seeing how they really did not need any more surprises today, it was the best and only option. The family, including Pop, pop thanked the Chief, Lt Brown and the other volunteers of Station 28 for the hospitality and kind care that was put into making sure 89 year old Pop,pop could once again lay down in his own home some 11 hours away in a state none of the stations folks have ever been to.
The family of Pop,pop has stayed in contact with the Chief of Station 28 and has let everyone know he is doing well, they can not thank us enough for how great their father was treated and wanted us at Fire District 28 to share this hope of humanity story with the world as a reminder to all: A simple act of kindness today, can change the outcome for a multitude of people, and you may not even realize it at first, but that's what being a Firefighter at Station 28 is all about.