Volunteer Firefighters Answer Call, Save Salem Twp. Business

"Without the dedication of the volunteers that we have, the fate... we probably would have lost a good portion of the building." Capt. Bronzburg is one of those dedicated volunteers. He worked until midnight at his regular job and hadn't even fallen asleep when he got the call. "Just laid down in bed. The pager went off. Up I go."

As volunteer firefighters filled the building, the 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. shift had to evacuate while dayside workers had to wait before beginning their work day. The manager at Leggett & Platt didn't want to appear on camera but did acknowledge that without the help of these dedicated volunteer firefighters this business could have suffered a tremendous blow. The manager described the fire damage as minor which allowed the company to resume operations. "They were very thankful. Shook our hands, everything," said Chief Smith. These firefighters say they don't do it for praise. They're just part of a fraternity responding to a special calling. "Whether you've been to bed, not been to bed, you've got to go to work. That's your extended family," said Capt. Bronzburg. "It's a brotherhood. A brother needs help, we go."

Another group of volunteer firefighters that responded to Thursday morning's fire is Espy Fire Company No. 1. It traveled the farthest, about 15 miles, to provide the rapid intervention team. Their mission was to aid any of the brotherhood of firefighters who might find themselves in serious danger during the fire fight.