The start of 2013 brought a change at the top of the Altavista Fire Company.
After 10 years as chief, John Tucker turned over the job to Lee Neal, who had been his deputy. Tucker will remain a member of the fire company and on the board.
Tucker said it was “bittersweet” to step down as chief.
“By no means did I do anything by myself. Actually, I did nothing by myself.”
He said no one person runs a call. It takes a team. He said it’s been nice to be the coach of the team “at times.”
“At times, I’d rather have been the water boy,” Tucker said a few days before his post ended. Tucker has been in the fire company 20 years.
Neal, who’s spent 25 years with the Altavista department, took over as chief Jan. 1. He had been the deputy chief the last four years and had served as chief the two years before Tucker took the position.
“I’m going to do the best I can. I love being on the fire department. I’d do anything for those guys and gals,” Neal said Monday.
The chief’s duties include being in charge of all parts of the company, including equipment and volunteers. The chief is held accountable for all reporting to the state and working with the fire marshal and law enforcement investigators. He is also held accountable for all calls, whether he’s there or not.
Tucker, a 43-year-old Altavista native, said it was Neal who got him involved in the fire company. He said Neal called and asked if he would join. Tucker said he told his wife, Denise, he’d serve a year or two.
“Twenty years later, … we didn’t know we’d be in it this long.”
Looking back at his time as chief, Tucker is proud of what’s been accomplished.
He said when he became chief, only three members had attained the firefighter 1 level. Now, 90 percent have passed level 2.
He said the department moved and separated from the town, officially becoming a company, instead of a department. That meant the company could do its own fundraising and apply for grants. He said the department has replaced and added equipment, increasing its service to the community.
“I feel good about where it is, and I feel good about where it goes from here,” said Tucker.
Tucker, who’s an investment consultant at First National Bank, said the biggest firefighting effort in terms of structure and dollar loss that he’s had charge over was The Lane Company fire in November 2005. He said there had also been several large brush fires.
Tucker said he’d commanded efforts involving 30-40 pieces of equipment and 100 firefighters.
He said town firefighters train for and fight the same incidents as their counterparts in New York City. He said it’s just on a smaller scale in Altavista. Tucker said no firefighters have lost their lives while battling blazes.
Three members, Jason Saunders, “Boody” Lewis and Jeff Cocke, died during Tucker’s time as chief.
“It’s a great bunch of guys, actually my best friends,” Tucker said. “They (volunteers) don’t owe you anything, but they’ll give you anything.”
The fire company has 28 members. It answered about 215 calls last year, up from about 75 10 years ago, Tucker said.
Firefighting is just one of the members’ duties. They respond to vehicle accidents and provide water search and rescue. Members go to the elementary school to talk to students about fire prevention and safety. They attend Altavista football games and sound the siren each time the Colonels score a touchdown. The company provides housing for Donation-A-Week-Neighbors (DAWN). For several years, members organized the annual Uncle Billy’s Day as a fundraiser for the company.
Add to all of that the meetings and required trainings, and it’s clear to see being a firefighter is a time-consuming job. And, it’s volunteer work. Not only do members not get paid, but they also pay their own expenses related to being in the company.
“I think that’s why you feel so strongly about people in the fire department. You’ve found someone willing to make all these sacrifices for their neighbor,” Tucker said.