Fire fighters are everyday heroes, protecting and serving the public. But a group of Firefighters (IAFF) members in Worcester, Mass., have found a way to be heroes in their spare time by building ramps for people who need one.
The United Way has been building ramps in Central Massachusetts for about two decades, but the members of IAFF Local 1009 got deeply involved in 2006. Since then, the “Ramp Gang” has put up more than 60 ramps.
Says Lt. David Wondolowski (Ret.):
Every one of these people is trapped in their own home. They are alive. They have services come to them, but they can’t get out of their own house.
Local 1009 members have built ramps in the driving rain, deep snow, frigid New England cold and in scorching heat. One time the crew had to thaw out the ground in minus 10 temperatures to build the ramp. The group builds ramps for anyone who needs one and can’t afford it. With the help of other unions, they build ramps for children, seniors and people with disabilities. Recently, they built a ramp for a teen injured in gang violence.
Retired firefighter Jerry Dineen says through the years,
we’ve gone in houses and gotten people out under bad situations. This is getting them out so they can be more mobile and enjoy life
.
One of the most heartfelt projects for the Ramp Gang was building a ramp for Madeline, a young girl with spina bifida. On their day off, 26 fire fighters showed up to build a ramp at her home in just a few hours. Her mother, Jennifer Wilson, says the fire fighters developed a bond with Madeline, joking and playing with her as they worked. And when it was over, the firefighters fought back tears.
Local 1009 member Robert LaRose chokes up and can’t finish his sentence when he talks about that day:
You can be the hardest person on the planet and you see a little kid come out in a wheelchair on one of those ramps—and yeah…..
Lt. Donald Courtney says he feels proud to point out to his family the houses where he’s helped build ramps, whether it’s one they built for a six-year-old child or an elderly woman with multiple sclerosis.
LaRose says the workers are dedicated.
It’s been a real joy to be involved in the ramp program. And I’ll be doing it until I need a ramp myself.