When I was 13 years of age my Ernest Rich Junior was a firefighter at the age of 39 years old working for the Sun Bright Volunteer Fire Department. But before he moved to TN, he was a paid volunteer Firefighter for Covington Ohio at the age of 21 years of age, well I was growing up and starting my life basically but still I was searching for what I had wanted to be or do when I got older and man I was searching high and low finding things that I might be interested in searching around life circle but just couldn't find the true me. At first I wanted to be a police officer, then I wanted to be a paramedic, lol so many choices but still I could not find what I wanted to be, finally when I turned 8 years old Dad took me down into the firetruck over to this small place called the tiger mart. The truck didn't really have what trucks have today, but man I enjoyed turning that siren on and dad knew right there who I was going to become, "he said son I know you may be like your old dad and become a firefighter and if you do and you go out on calls just be careful and remember your old dad will ya?" "Yes dad I will, I replied with a small meek voice".
I was just turning 12 years old and living in Christianson Road of Deer Lodge, didn't have to worry about going to the doctor the doctors office was just a hop and a skip up the road and there were many stores that seemed so convienant to me. Man I had no problem, lived in this blue house with a deck added to it years later. It was a beautiful house and I loved it but had no idea how much mom and dad were in debt just trying to make a living being there. Well I was also a hard head back then wanted things my way and I was stingy and I was a mean little brat. Well a summer came in and it was hot and my family was visiting for that time, when a tornado outbreak appeared to be a problem, luckily it missed us but I guess you could say it was a warning to find another place, I ignored the warning and went on ignoring it until I reached 16 years old and become more hard headed then ever, to tell you the truth my actions nearly split mom and dad up at that time. I was mean, and just didn't care about how others felt.
The summer of 1999 hit and I was 17 years old and off to see grandma we went to visit her and meet her at my aunts, well when we got there all the family was leaving for Georgia and so mom and dad decided to go and that's what we did but I knew how much I was going to miss that house, while we were in Georgia We went to see the biggest fireworks and the biggest fun you could ever have. When it came time to leave that following week mom and dad got in a big argument because of the decision of going to Georgia. Well we decided to go home two weeks after the argument was settled. And away home to my blue house we went, pulling up with the emergency lights was our friend and sorta family I guess you could say, his name was Dale Lyons and he pulled up beside us and came out with news with what I guess you could say shock me, " Did you know your house burnt?" Dale Lyons told dad. Dad Replied " No when did you hear that" Dale said Deer Lodge Responded to the call and the house was completely to the ground and could not be saved in time. Dad decided to take us to grandmas and go and look at the house and when he pulled up the next day he had tears in his eyes and barely could explain the news to me and mom, I guess the courage of a dad was holding him up telling the news to us as if that next minute we were going to brake down and cry but instead we went to the house to take a look. Riding down the road we got there and saw a police line do not cross sectioned all around the house, and the house that was there wasn't there anymore, it was all burnt down to the ground, as I held moms hand dad walked with us to go inside, mom just fell to the ground and started to cry loud laugh burst of tears, and just couldn't hardly breathe she was crying so hard "Honey My home" I lost my Home" Mom replied with a teary voice. At that moment I felt angry and felt so ashamed and wanted to get back at the person but instead I just let it go and went on. Well as for us we stayed with grandma at her house when fall gave into winter and man it was cold inside that house. My mind as a kid was occupied by video games and movies and morning cartoons. Dad had finally found us a house and it was a small one and we stayed there on a cold winters night with no couches or anything, all we had was a cover in the middle of the floor watching a little fit square television, well as I turned 18 years old I somehow joined this department in Chestnut Ridge Volunteer and started my probation, we had allot of fun at the department back then in the year 2000 and it was an awesome year. Well I winded up meeting this girl who I thought would love and care for me and we got married and stayed together for two to three years and now through a divorce. Well I had left the department and now I decided to that I wanted to join back and had to fight hard doing it doing what all I could do to get in but from the word that was going around was a slim to none chance and all odds were against me, well now I am back in there and was on probation in the department and now everyone there depends on me as an all time call firefighter, I love doing what I do and heck now I have a better life I could move on and build myself and have a great woman beside me to do it with, she is my best friend love and wife and I will do anything for her, because she is the one I prayed about to come in my life when I was 16. " I said God I don't know much about you or don't know anything about heaven but If you got a phone call me so I could talk to you but if not Im going to talk to you like your right here with me face to face, I asked God to send me a true firefighter woman to be with me in the department so we could have that same understanding and chemical bond connection and now I have her and thank God for her and I am proposing to her very soon, and she is coming to live with me I love her very much and she goes by the name of Em the Resq grl I love her to death and she and I are one. And I am thankful for her and will do anything for her and be there for her all that I can and give her the support she needs, we need each other and now we have each others heart.