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Most people don’t realize that once the General Assembly wraps up on Friday most delegates and senators head home to see their families for the weekend.
Some legislators are fortunate enough that their wives or husbands can accompany them to Richmond for the session. Some legislators have been known to enroll their children in the local public schools. My family has never been able to come with me to Richmond so I look forward to the weekly trip home. This past Saturday I was in Riner to support the local volunteer fire department’s annual oyster dinner at Auburn Elementary School. Of course Saturday was a beautiful day and the crowd was tremendous. The squad started serving at 4:30 p.m. and by then the parking lot was full. Squad members said that people started lining up by 3:30 p.m. It was very clear the dinner was a huge success. It was also good to see Christiansburg Rescue Squad Captain Kelly Walters and Elliston Fire Chief Pug Wells. As so often happens at these events, fire and rescue leaders from across the county and from other jurisdictions also attend the fundraisers for each other. A couple of weeks ago the McCoy Volunteer Fire Department also held it’s annual officer installation dinner. I have had the pleasure of attending this event each year. This year for the second time in a row the dinner was interrupted by an emergency call. As so often is the case, you can discern important events from little episodes. This was the case concerning the emergency call that evening. For the average citizen if you are involved in an accident or your house were to catch fire you expect the ambulance or the fire truck to respond quickly. But in our area that quick response means that a father or mother has to leave the comfort of their home or activity to rush off to help save a life or put out a fire. Unless you have worked with our rescue and fire department volunteers, it is hard to appreciate the sacrifice these men and women and their families make to serve the community. To be a fire or rescue volunteer requires an enormous commitment in time by the volunteer and by extension their family. This can include hundreds of hours of specialized training to be a certified specialist. This training is critical if these volunteers are to protect themselves and the people they are seeking to serve. Anytime one family member has to make this type of commitment it rolls on to the rest of the family to help out. When I meet with volunteer fire and rescue squads, I not only thank the volunteers but also the entire family for the sacrifice they make to allow the volunteers to do their job. So next time you see a fire or rescue volunteer, please give them a hearty thank you. They deserve our thanks and support. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about my legislation or any other action by the General Assembly, do not hesitate to contact me. My e-mail address is
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. The phone number for my Richmond office is (804) 698-1007. If you would like to send a letter, you may send it to P.O. Box 406 Richmond, VA 23219.
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