In a community effort to provide their local Firefighters with much needed drinking water during these very hot summer months while fighting fires, a program that was spearheaded last year by Mr. Cliff Richey and Mr. Bill Monk, owners of three area Thrifty Grocery stores along with local radio station KSHN was again kicked off recently. This renewed effort brought together many citizens and local agencies in providing an abundance of bottled water for these firefighters who must fight building fires and grass fires clothed in very heavy bunker gear which would tax the physical ability of anyone. The Liberty Fire Department is supplied such water by the city but with such a high demand for water at fires during this very hot weather, there can never be too much of a good thing like fresh drinking water.
Pictured is Father Ted Smith of the Liberty St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church who also serves as a Chaplain for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and is an active member of the Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association ( CPAAA ) along with several of the City of Liberty Firefighters unloading sixteen cases of bottled drinking water donated by the good citizens of the Liberty area. Father Smith explained that his church has an “Outreach Project” each month so he and his committee decided to serve as a “collection point” whereby local citizens could drop off their donations of bottled water at their church and the church, in turn, would deliver it to the fire department.
Furthermore, the fact that the major emphasis of the all-volunteer CPAAA organization is to assist law enforcement, fire departments and other first responder groups and is co-sponsored by the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff Bobby Rader thought it was only fitting if the department’s “Citizens On Patrol” vehicle could be of assistance in helping with this project and assist in the delivery. To quote Father Smith, he considers this a community “partnership” effort to help and show the local fire department just how much the community deeply appreciates their fire department and what they do to serve their city on a day and night basis.
Although this was a city of Liberty based project, there are several other volunteer fire departments throughout Liberty County that have this same need and many county citizens have responded to their respective fire departments. If such donations are not made to many of these volunteer fire departments, the firefighters, themselves, have to dig into their own pockets to buy the much needed bottled water. Thus, the public is encouraged to pick up a few bottles of water when shopping and drop them off at your local fire department. Those hard working volunteer men and women who protect your lives and property would greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness.
