Hannah Emberton
Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
(TNS)
Aug. 28—Volunteer fire departments across Oklahoma help keep rural citizens safe, and Lowrey Fire Chief Larry Watts is among those leading the effort.
Lowrey VFD was originally organized by a men’s church group in 1982. At that time, Watts was an insurance adjuster. With that job, he saw first hand how fires can have a devastating impact on families. This led him to joining the volunteer force.
Watts has been Lowrey fire chief for over 25 years. In this role, he is responsible for managing the daily operations of the fire department, training new volunteers, managing emergency scenes and following directions from the board of directors.
LVFD recently received a grant for $514,571.42 to purchase a new tanker truck. Watts said he is proud of this accomplishment, and that it will be the fourth grant the department has received in four years.
He is also proud the department was recently recognized by U.S. Sen. James Lankford and State Sen. Blake “Cowboy” Stephens. Watts said Lankford has assisted the department by writing letters of support for Assistance to Firefighters grants for which the crew has applied.
Unlike other fire stations with full-time firefighters who wait in the station for calls, volunteers at LVFD carry pagers. When a call comes in, an alert is sent out to all the volunteers, and whoever is available will respond.
Firefighters respond not only to fire emergencies, but medical incidents as well, said Watts.
Some memories stand out for Watts — particularly in cases where the team has responded to medical emergencies when a patient had no pulse and volunteers have been able to revive the patient and save a life.
Watts said he and the other firefighters feel especially good about those moments.
“If it wasn’t for volunteer fire departments, rural communities would not have fire protection or medical response,” he said.
In rural areas, volunteer departments often arrive before an ambulance, and they serve as a first line of defense, or protection, in these communities.
“Without us, people would be waiting an extended amount of time for medical services,” Watts said.
For Watts and the other volunteers, their efforts are worth it.
“It is a rewarding commitment,” he said.
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