“ Typically a walker will be walking past and hear them in there ,” Ames said . “ And who do you call ? Well you call the fire department . People don ’ t know who else to call so they call us and we kind of just go and figure it out .
“ There ’ s a lot of common sense required in our job , a lot of mechanical ability as well to figure things out .”
Ames said he ’ s fixed a toilet before — the caller was worried that it would keep overflowing and reach the electrical system . On a recent call , Hopf said he responded to a house where a woman ’ s doorbell would not stop chiming . They took apart the old-style bell to make sure there was no hazard .
“ She was afraid that there was an electrical issue , that it would catch fire , so we had to go and rule out whether it was going to catch fire or not ,” Ames said .
But if their job requires extensive training in fire and rescue and a lot of common sense to help fix everyday issues , being a good firefighter also takes a lot of heart .
Although he doesn ’ t necessarily think of it as a “ rescue ,” Battalion Chief Richard VanGilder recalls the many visits he and his crew made to the home of an older Jeffersonville couple . The man , who was in his 90s , would often slip out of bed or need other assistance .
“ He wasn ’ t invalid , but he was close , and the only thing that allowed him to live at home was the help other people could provide him ,” VanGilder said , adding that he and his crew went almost daily . “ They wouldn ’ t even call 911 anymore , they would call us and because we were able to go over and [ help him ] and kept him and his wife living together until he died .”
For him , it wasn ’ t a question of whether to help or not .
JEFFERSONVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT SGT . JUSTIN AMES WASHES A DOG RESCUED FROM A DRAINAGE DITCH IN HIGHLAND DOG PARK IN 2018 .
“ We put ourselves in that position ,” he said . “ If that were our parent , what would we want from the local fire department ?”
42 Jeffersonville Fire Department / 150 years