A Tribute to our Public Servants
January 24, 2012
ARAB, Ala. – A Valley church is honoring first responders who helped others during the April 27th tornado outbreak.
The EF4 tornado that swept through Arab on that fateful day changed many lives forever. Arab resident Jennifer Satterfield and her family lost their home. She says, “You’ll just never forget something like that happening. It's very devastating, it's devastating to my son, to lose his home and everything he had, and just to be terrified of something like that." Looking back, Satterfield will never forget the kindness and support shown to her by first responders: “They brought food, water, any necessities you need, they were there to help."
To honor the first responders who helped Satterfield and others, Arab Church of Christ held a ceremony to thank them for their service during and after the tornadoes.
Arab Church of Christ Minister Ken Tyler says, “Going into the new year, we wanted to really focus on doing some special things for our community, and we thought the best place to begin would be to honor all of the public servants that served us so well last April, and of course serve us well on a daily basis."
The service included a special sermon and singing, as well as a personal "thank you" to each first responder. Tyler then presented a plaque to the Arab Police, Fire and Rescue, and Electric Co-Op Departments, along with the city council and two radio stations.
Fire Chief Ricky Phillips says during the storms and the aftermath, it wasn't always easy for first responders to put their own hurt aside and bravely help others. He explains, "A lot of guys' families were at home and most everybody lives in the same area where the storms came through. So not knowing whether their families were ok, and not knowing where their families were, emotions played into it very severely."
As Arab continues to heal from the storms, judging by the hundreds in attendance Sunday evening, the bravery of these men and women will always be respected and remembered.
Comments
Got something to say?
