Above & Beyond: Brevard County Firefighters Help Family Recover After the Tragedy

Firefighters are a special group of people.  Every day, they go above and beyond by risking their lives to save people they’ve never met.  But for many men and women on the job, the real work begins after the fire is extinguished and the smoke has cleared, especially in Brevard County.

On Wednesday, April 27^th, a family in North Satellite Beach called for help as their home caught fire.  Despite a timely response, and no injuries, the family lost all of their possessions.  In some parts of the nation, this family would have said thank you to the firefighters and never see them again…not in Brevard County. 

Members from the Brevard County Professional Firefighters spent their own time this past Friday, doing what firefighters do best…giving back to the community.  They raised money; they solicited donated items; they even showed up with construction materials to board up the home and clean the inside of all the burned debris. 

In between shoveling debris, one Brevard County Firefighter said, “We don’t just work when we’re on duty.  Being a firefighter is more than that.  It’s about taking care of the community, whether we are on the clock or donating our own time off-duty.” 

Perhaps part of the reason Brevard County Professional Firefighters are so willing to give up everything to help others is that in Brevard County, this willingness to serve starts at the top.  Just this past Saturday (April 30^th), Brevard County Manager Stockton Whitten and Brevard County Fire Chief Mark Schollmeyer spent part of their weekend raising money for the “March of Dimes March for Babies” event in Viera.

A special thanks goes to Harbor City Crossfit owner Mike Manning.  As a former Brevard County firefighter, he met up with his old coworkers to lend a helping hand.

Also a thanks to Lowes in Indian Harbor Beach and Ace Hardware in Satellite Beach for their generous donations of materials to help move the project along.

Firefighters help remove debris from burned home

Firefighters board up the home to protect from further damage

Some of the cleanup crew, including
Harbor City Crossfit owner Mike Manning 

A deserving family is proud to call
Brevard County Firefighters their Heroes

To donate to this deserving family, please visit www.gofundme.com/thomasfirefund

To view all the pictures, click Satellite Beach Cleanup


The Brevard County Professional Firefighter Benevolent Association is a nonprofit organization aimed to help local individuals that experience catastrophic events as well as provide assistance to local charities.  The Association is governed by Brevard County Professional Firefighters who volunteer their off-duty time to ensure our community's needs are met.  

For more information on the organization or to donate to the family, please contact Lieutenant Donald Slayman (Public Information Officer for the Brevard County Professional Firefighters) at donald.slayman@iaff2969.com  

###

By: Donald Slayman

Public Information Officer

Brevard County Professional Firefighters

Donald.Slayman@IAFF2969.com