Firefighters. They’re everyday heroes who constantly risk their own lives to save ours. But they don’t do it alone.
Since 2007, the Colleyville Fire Department Rehab Response Team has been aiding fire and police departments in the Tarrant County area. The Rehab Team is responsible for making sure firefighters stay hydrated and fed during live and controlled fires.
“International fire standards require that once a firefighter has been in a building, they be removed from the scene and go to Rehab,” said Colleyville Mayor David Kelly, a member of the Rehab Team. “We set up a Rehab area and provide fluids like water and Gatorade, and we also have snacks for them.”
The Rehab Team is also qualified to change firefighter air tanks, though member Tom Anderson noted that the firefighters usually prefer to change the air tanks themselves.
But the Rehab Team doesn’t just help the firefighters. They provide care for victims as well.
Mayor Kelly said the team sometimes provides closed off tents for families who fall victim to the fires and wish to remain out of the public area, and Rehab member Virginia Hildebrandt added that the team brings toys and stuffed animals for children on the scene, too.
As a colder season approaches, the Rehab Team noted the weather change doesn’t mean their jobs will get any easier. The team playfully reminisced about when they realized what they needed to prepare for the winter season.
“Now, in my Rehab bag, I have hand warmers and extra socks,” said Hildebrandt.
“You don’t think you need a tent for the cold, but you need it as much in the cold as in the heat,” said Dora Grider, another member of the Rehab Team.
During cold weather, the Rehab Team provides coffee, hot chocolate, blankets, hand warmers, sweatshirts, heaters and generators.
Mayor Kelly and Rehab member Rob Bottger recalled driving to a fire in Keller two years ago when the roads were iced over. Once they arrived at the site, which was at the bottom of a hill, they skidded down on the ice and reached the site safely.
Anderson believes Colleyville’s Rehab Response Team has set an example for other rehab teams in the area.
“Our (team) has probably been the most active of all of them,” said Anderson. “In fact, I think at least a couple got theirs going because they saw how active ours was.”
The Rehab Team stays alert and ready by constantly training with regularly scheduled controlled burn drills, mock plane disasters, simulated call-outs and more.
“We do the simulated call-outs to keep the training fresh,” said Mayor Kelly. “When you come up to a fire scene with everyone, you need to know what you’re doing.”
The members of the Colleyville Rehab Team are very passionate about their service to the community.
“I’m retired now, and I don’t mind giving back to my community,” said Anderson. “Most of them have given to me a lot, and now it’s time for me to give back to them.”
Bottger joined the Rehab Team and the Colleyville Citizen Police Academy to gain clarity on what real fire and police departments experience.
“I wanted to dispel the myth between what you see in Hollywood and TV versus what happens in real life with the fire department,” said Bottger. “Some of it is similar, but a lot of it doesn’t happen that way. Other times, it really hits close to home.”
The team is looking forward to attending their next big event, Texas Night Out, which promotes neighborhood interaction, police-community partnerships and awareness of drug prevention activities. The Texas Night Out Community Safety Event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 2 at City Park from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and if you see the Rehab Team there, feel free to say hello.