In 2021, fire season came early and hit hard in Northern California. There was heavy smoke while a million-plus acres burned, and many homes were lost as multiple fires raged out of control for months. We live in the bone-dry foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and so anxiously checked our phones daily for news of fires starting near us, of which there were many.
Our local fire department is primarily made up of volunteers who give countless hours of their time to train, maintain equipment, and respond to numerous calls.
As the season went on and they extinguished fire after fire, sometimes several in one day, we came to realize the debt we owed them for protecting our community, our homes, and perhaps even our lives. We also felt a high level of confidence in their professionalism and ability to handle whatever came at them.
We wanted to give back in some way, so we called and asked what they might need. At the top of the list were a 250-pound capacity ice-maker and several large, heavy-duty RTIC ice chests to fill and keep on the fire engine for long hours and days on the job.Other items included a power washer and an industrial-size coffee maker (important for those middle-of-the-night calls!). After research and conversations with manufacturers and suppliers around the country, we got the ice-maker at a good price and had it shipped to us. With the items assembled, we delivered them to the station, where the chief and several firemen and women greeted us and gave us a tour. We were tickled to climb up and sit in the cab of their immaculate new engine and meet some of the people who serve our community with such dedication.
