This is the second part in a series of the “Unsung Heroes Join Forces” article.
Knowing the county’s Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) are an integral part of the community’s emergency rescue, treatment and transport, San Saba News staff contacted spokespersons from representative VFDs for feedback on how their week went during Storm Uri. Jack Blossman, Captain of San Saba’s VFD, conducted a lengthy telephone interview providing a plethora of information for this article.
First, Captain Blossman shared the story of two major fires in the county the week of Storm Uri. He stated conditions made it difficult for firefighters due to the ice, snow, and freezing temperatures. Both fires resulted in major losses for the owners and families. In fact, Richland Springs VFD was unable to respond to a call because the pumps on their trucks had frozen.
Next, Jack (he gave me permission to call him by his first name) described how busy the entire VFD was that entire week by assisting the Sheriff’s Department with various calls, from working motor vehicle accidents to doing welfare checks on people whose safety could be compromised by the storm. One particular welfare check involved a senior citizen living alone in the country without heat, water and no phone for two days. Family members called emergency services to make them aware of their loved one. Consequently, San Saba VFD took the call, and a firefighter rescued the stranded woman. A community member associated with The Father’s House graciously took the lady into her home for a couple of days while her family made the difficult journey to San Saba to welcome her back to family’s love and shelter.
An unexpected evacuation popped up during this horrible, miserable week! Of all things, the generator at San Saba Nursing and Rehabilitation did not come on when the electricity shut off. Electrical power, in whatever manner acquired, was an absolute necessity for these residents since some required oxygen, breathing treatments, etc., but really for the simple fact that healthcare facility-based residents and healthcare staff have to have electrical power available to them at all times. Consequently, the facility administrator made the decision to move the residents to various facilities in Brownwood. With that said, the San Saba VFD firefighters assisted in the evacuation process of the facility residents.
Following this further, and with much joy and pride in his voice tone, Jack stated that San Saba ISD Superintendent Wayne Kelly volunteered disabilityequipped school busses for the transport of evacuated facility residents. In addition, some of the SSISD staff drove the busses to Brownwood.
In Captain Blossman’s continued enthusiasm about our community’s cohesiveness and pull together to provide safety and protection, he told several other stories about local organizations, groups and individuals who provided help in many ways such as shipments of pallets of water, blankets, bottled water, food, money donations, and the list and the assistance go on and on. . . and there are probably angels unaware we may never know about!
As a matter of fact, Sabrina Maultsby, City Secretary, was also interviewed and shared that Mayor Jordan consulted with Marsha Hardy, County Director of Emergency Mangament, about putting in an emergency request for supplies such as water and blankets. In addition, Mayor Jordan called State Representative Shelby Slawson’s office requesting assistance for our county. Ms. Slawson represents our county, and apparently she quickly got on the phone to the upper echelons to help move things along for needed supplies and assistance.
In the meantime, Ms. Hardy was able to procue needed pallets of water and blankets from the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM). Also, Brady’s Salvation Army and a store in San Saba helped provide bottled water during this troubled week. While some City employees passed out the water to those who arrived at the Civic Center, other City employees delivered water to those residents who were homebound.
As mentioned in last week’s article, there were many occasions of food donations - First Baptist Church of San Saba, The Father’s House, food for City crews, just to mention a few. As well as these actions, Pepperbelly’s sponsored $5 “to go” meals for the community (no profit at all). All plates were $5, and Pepperbelly’s only took cash - no cash register transactions were made in case the power went out. Two waitresses and three cooks worked for that event. In addition, a large quantity of water was boiled, and water in jugs were bought.
Then, on February 18th, Pepperbelly’s did a special event lunch – a “to go” $5 Burger Plate or a $5 Enchilada Plate. They sold 220 plates in 1 1/2 hours!
Here are some special treats that occurred during this special event:
• Jody Fauly - bought food for the utility workers
• Had many huge orders; people just gave them out.
• Randy and the Youth Group from The Father’s House bought 28 plates and gave them out to the elderly or whoever needed them and could not get out to get them.
• Paul and Jennifer Stewart got 15 plates and gave them out.
• Luke Haug donated $300 for meals; Pepperbelly’s used the money to give away many meals. (Luke lived here years ago as a teenager. He wanted to bless the community that he used to call home.)
• Many came in to buy meals for others.
• Several people came in to buy gift cards for others.
• Several people came in to buy meals for other folks who were coming to get meals. It was paid for when they got there.
• Several people bought food for families and picked it up and delivered it.
• Pepperbelly’s let some come to pay the next day if they didn’t have the cash on them.
• Pepperbelly’s gave away many plates.
• Someone said in conversation they needed a particular part for a plumbing repair. Ramiro (owner of Pepperbelly’s) told the person he had that part and gave it to him to use.
Finally, Ramiro said they tried to limit the $5 plates to three meals per person, but people just kept buying for others who could not get out. When customers were ordering, they would get that person on the phone who would then tell Ramiro that person was picking up their meal. Sometimes, customers could not get others on the phone (power issues), so Ramiro would go ahead and sell them the meals.
Although Ramiro had told his wait staff he wasn’t going to open that day, other community members somehow found out and came in to help. In fact, Thursday’s “to go” lunch went so well, that Ramiro decided to do a $5 Fajita plate the very next day! (If you know anything about food costs, then you know that Ramiro made very little - in fact, if anything at all! - on the Fajita plate lunch.)
In conclusion of this second part to this series, we have heard about the rescues, the networking, the sacrifices, and the giving and taking. . . but the coming together of the strong community that we are and can be in the face of adversity, whatever that may be.
To be continued. . .
Please note: If you know of someone (individual or group) who went above and beyond the call of duty to help out during this time of dire emergency, please let us know by submitting a brief written or typed article of who, what, when and where. Or, if something wonderful was done for you and you want to call out that person and give praise, submit a brief statement to the paper. Our email address is: editor.sansabanews@centex.net