My husband came on KCFD at 19, the year was 1969. We met when I was 12 and got married when I was 17. John spent the next 30 years on KCFD. Our children were raised between home and the fire station.

My youngest brother came on 10 years later at 19. He is still working and he is a Battalion Chief. My son in law, Mac, worked at one of the busiest station in KC for 31 years. He was planning to retire after 32 years. He gave his spot to a young fire fighter wanting to be where all the action was and in return went to a much slower station to serve out his last few months.

This labor day weekend it will be 5 years since He was killed on a run. A lady with a revoked license was driving, she said she didn’t hear the sirens, the truck swerved to avoid hitting her and hit a tree. Mac was thrown through the windshield and died at the scene.

My husband died of lung cancer a year and a half before Mac was killed. The doctors said with his early years on the fire department, without air masks, the exposure to chemicals played a large roll in his cancer. My youngest child and only son was 21 when my husband died. We had always been a close family and my son had a very hard time dealing with the loss of his father.

My son Sam joined the fire department, bought a house, and set a wedding date. It was the first time in years we all excited and happy. One week before Christmas Sam came by to visit me. He rode his motorcycle that day. Fifteen minutes after he left, I got a call telling me he had been hit by a pickup.

The stories go on and on but I am tired.

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