CBS News: "The most beloved member of a fire station"

[firedude 985]

Great Story from Last night...

Description:

As part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman reports from Lansing, Michigan, where members of a firehouse have made welcome a mentally-handicapped man - for almost 60 years.

[Sailr322 88]

Thanks for sharing! Awesome video and example of the dedication of these firefighters to their community and this man that continues from generation to generation in the firefighting community!!

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

God bless us Fighters and god bless Tony.

[FFPCogs 863]

Now THAT'S what it's all about. Great guys doing great things. God Bless fellas and job well done!!

[16fire5 693]

I think if you looked at FDNY houses this is the rule rather than the exception. Many time you will hear them referred to as "their buff" in reality this is usually a physically or mentally handicapped individual who is a fire house fixture. Every house I've been assigned to has one or more. Some are more famous than others e.g. Engine 64. I learned not to feel sorry for them and see they could have an enjoyable life in spite of what life dealt them. It shows why this is the best job in the world--the people you work with.

[FFPCogs 863]

I think if you looked at FDNY houses this is the rule rather than the exception. Many time you will hear them referred to as "their buff" in reality this is usually a physically or mentally handicapped individual who is a fire house fixture. Every house I've been assigned to has one or more. Some are more famous than others e.g. Engine 64. I learned not to feel sorry for them and see they could have an enjoyable life in spite of what life dealt them. It shows why this is the best job in the world--the people you work with.

Like I said,

great guys doing great things....

[towerladder2 22]

Here in the Bronx, we have "Macho"... You can find him at numerous firehouses... On occasion he even answers the department phone, and is a real special guy to alot of brothers....

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Thats really spectacular. God Bless.

Thanks for sharing this Kyle.

[grumpyff 1,159]

Great job Lansing!! Its good to see something nice written about the emergency services once in a while.

The guy at Engine 64, if its the one I am thinking of, I met during a ride along in the early Nineties. He was incredible in his own way

[lt411 145]

I covered a day tour at Eng 64 in the Bronx one day, and we had AM-BI (building inspection duty). The brothers were in a Parkchester bldg., and the MPO (chauffeur) and I were standing outside the rig on the sidewalk. Up walks a slightly disheveled fella in his mid 30's, and starts asking me questions (I can see the MPO smiling behind him). This fella was one of E64's buffs, and he was a "Rain man". He could tell me the fire alarm box number for any intersection in the Bronx; he asked what date I was appointed and he told me the dept. order number,and where I was assigned out of proby school; he told me what companies were disbanded since I was appointed- it was unreal. But yet when you asked him a simple current events question, he was clueless. He was one of E64's favorites. Firefighters seem to have a soft heart, everywhere. It's a nature of the beast, and a good one!

[efdcapt115 1,511]

We had an elderly gentleman who visited us daily at Headquarters for many years. He could hardly walk with his cane, but managed every day to make it up the hill to the firehouse. He wouldn't accept any help getting around.

I learned a lot about the job from senior men. I learned even more about life from daily chats with Al. He made me feel more comfortable in my own firehouse than some of my co-workers.

He's passed on now, and I hadn't thought about him for a while until this story brought back very fond memories.

The unsung about things that all people in emergency services do for others. Obviously, the Brothers in Lansing go above and beyond the call, each and every day. Humanity and decency; traits of our Brothers and Sisters everywhere across this country.

God Bless them all. Thanks for a very heartwarming story.

[x129K 1,393]

We have a few here too....