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By Priscilla Greear
Staff Writer
ROSWELL- For 13-year-firefighter Phil Brown, school is never over. As one
honoree of Queen of Angels' "We Appreciate" service project, Brown
told fourth-graders at the school that he spends 120 hours in class yearly
studying fire science, survival, escape and prevention and ways to battle back
flames.
When a call comes in, he carries that information, plus all he learned in
grade school, on his way to extinguish fires and save buildings and lives. He
recalled how one time a floor even fell out beneath him.
"I get to run into burning buildings when everyone is running out ... I
get to go in and help save people's property and sometimes help save people's
lives. Sometimes I go to car accidents-all kinds of different situations where
people get hurt and need help. It's nice to be able to be there and help those
people," he said. "Sometimes we even get to go out and help people
when it's not a big emergency, like when all of the trees fell because of the
ice."
Fourth-graders at the new grade school honored assistant fire marshals Brown
and Charles Vacca of the Roswell Fire Marshal's Office Feb. 10 for their
courage as part of the school's "We Appreciate" service project
recognizing unsung heroes of the community. Others honored were Evelyn
Albertson and Mailey McLaughlin, from the Atlanta Humane Society and Fulton
County Animal Control, and Kevin Smith of the motorcycle squad of the Roswell
Police Department. Parents on the Spiritual Life Committee of the Home and
School Association and fourth-grade teachers planned the project. Nearly 30
fourth-grade students wrote letters and prayers of appreciation and made gifts
for the professionals alongside about 15 parents. Selected writers read their
pieces during the program and others read acrostic posters reflecting the
project themes of community, respect, appreciation and heroism.
Opening the ceremony, fourth-grade parent and event planner Kristen Scott
said the project was to educate youth on community service.
"The goal of our service project is to spend a little time with our
kids to help them learn about community ... We talked about our school
community, we talked about our church community, we talked about our
neighborhood, we talked about our world community and we have learned that God
expects us to give back to our community and take care of our community,"
she said. "Our goal with this was to empower these children to teach them
that our good Lord gives us talents and to know that if they share their
talents with the world it will be a better world and if they share those
talents with the community it will be a better community."
Student Mary Beth Dicks was among those who thanked Brown for his sacrifice
and presented him with student-made picture frames.
"Sacrifice is something the firefighter does every day. Did you know
that firefighters sometimes spend several days and nights at the fire station?
They don't get to go home to have dinner with their family or read a bedtime
story to their children. They don't get a hug from their spouse or a kiss from
their dog."
Next up was Albertson of the Humane Society.
"I want to thank you guys for having us out and for doing this great
project. We really appreciate that. It's nice to know that young folks
understand and realize that community workers are important."
Albertson, who brought pooches Cookie Monster and Mahoney, spoke of the
perils of loose litters.
"Animal control workers and Humane Society workers are important
because if stray pets were left around in your neighborhood all kinds of really
bad things could happen to the pets and to the people in your
neighborhood."
Albertson is a pet and people person.
"I think I have the greatest job at the Atlanta Humane Society because
my job is going out and talking with school groups, community groups and church
groups about taking care of pets and trying to teach people how to be
responsible pet owners. I think it's really important and I get to help pets in
a special way, not just pets that come into our shelter or pets that you might
have at home," she said. "I think it's a great job and I think
animals are very important."
Fourth-grader Brian Jackson agreed.
"Animals were one of God's first gifts to our world and we know how
much Jesus loved animals. Every time you find a safe and loving home for a pet
you are doing God's work," he said. The animal helpers received gifts of
cat and dog adoption kits with things like homemade dog bones and pet Frisbees
as well as a wagon, adoption cage and newspapers collected by students.
Albertson later added that the Humane Society is in constant need of newspapers
and sponsors events such as the Adoption Marathon, an open house at the Humane
Society in March.
Smith, like Brown, told youth that as a police officer he, too, has to run
the other way.
"In fire work and police work we tend to be running the opposite way of
everybody else, whether it's a burning building or an armed robbery or a car
wreck where somebody is hurt ... In doing that, it's really exciting to help a
lot of people not just in a passing kind of way. There are people that I meet
in my job that I met 10 or 15 years ago that I have helped or that have helped
me and I developed friendships with these people," he said.
Smith is also in it for the motorcycle.
"The biggest reason (I like my job) is I get to help people. I get to
meet new people every day of all different races, all different religions, with
money and without money ... Another reason I like being a policeman is that I
get to wear this really cool uniform and ride a motorcycle the city of Roswell
buys for me and pays for me to ride."
He remains a man of service without his badge. The law enforcer said that
one of the best things you can do for others besides helping them is being
there for them and that he enjoys going home after work each day and sharing
stories of this with his family.
Students presented him with a peace lily plant. Gregory Gorman read from his
letter: "Did I ever tell you, you're a cool guy? I like to see you chase
people. I think your handcuffs are cool. When I grown up I want to be a police
officer just like you."
The students sang their last gift, "Heroes Behind the Scenes,"
written by fourth-grade parent Jeanne Lyons with accompaniment by music teacher
Susan McQuade, before leading their guests out to the parking lot where they
asked questions and hopped on the fire truck and Smith's Harley Davidson
motorcycle.
Following the presentation, Brown said the program was
"fantastic."
"That makes it all worthwhile," he said. "Hopefully, they'll
understand a little bit more about what it's like to be a community helper and
hopefully someday some of them might choose the same profession."
Brown said he also teaches fire safety education at schools.
"The hardest thing about the job is seeing children get hurt. Children
don't have the knowledge it takes to keep from getting hurt in these situations
which is why we teach the program that we do."
Fourth-grader Amanda Bishop, who read her Humane Society prayer during the
presentation, said she was glad to encourage the visitors.
"(I liked) the part when we got to help other people-the police officer
and the fire fighter and the animal control person. I never got to meet any
before," she said. Her biggest heroes are "the animal control people
because I really love animals. They take care of animals that walk into their
shelters and animals you have at home."
Amanda's fourth-grade teacher, Melissa Ball, said that, in addition to the
writing exercises, students participated in stimulating class discussions about
what the community helpers must sacrifice, what they contribute to society and
the importance of appreciating them. She was grateful for the parent
involvement.
"Kristen (Scott) has worked more hours on this. We've handed it over to
(the parents) and they've run with it. It's been impressive."
Scott said the project recognized not only the importance of the selected
professions but of all other professions such as garbage collectors and judges.
She said it was a great introduction to religion service projects for the many
children who have come from public schools and also helped build a sense of
community within the school.
"Today at our presentation every child had a job to do. Everybody did
something to help."
Queen of Angels has already distributed many other jewels to the community
through various school-wide service projects focusing on Jubilee justice
including a recycling program and Operation Christmas Child through the
Samaritan's Purse. For Lent it will participate in Operation Rice Bowl and
collect shoes for homeless children.
Principal Sister Patricia Clune, CSJ, believes it's important for the school
both to uplift the downtrodden of society and those who uphold it. She said
many parents, teachers and students commented on the "wonderful"
fourth-grade project.
"So often in service projects we're reaching out to the people who are
poor or are in some way disabled. To be able to reach out and say thank you to
these servants-'we don't take you for granted, we really do appreciate you'-was
just kind of a different approach and one that everyone here was glad
about," she said. When our "streets are safe or our schools are safe
they're safe because people work night and day to ensure that the safety is
there whether from crime or fire. In society when everything is kind of there
for us we take for granted that we should be receiving these services. I think
(it's about) looking at careers and not taking these kinds of services for
granted."
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