By Amy Morrow
Eyewitness News Anchor
HAMILTON COUNTY, TN (WRCB) -- We want to introduce you to another Jefferson Award nominee. Jefferson Awards are a call to action for our community volunteers.
"He's a great guy one of those who makes us wanna be a better person," says Jeannie Demspey, with the Sequoyah Volunteer Fire Department.
Dempsey is talking about Mike Brumlow, he's the chief of Sequoyah Volunteer Fire Department in Soddy Daisy. A department that's grown quickly under his watch .
"The chief was one of the main reason I fell in love with the department, because he cares about each and every one of us and we are a family," says Demspey.
A family of almost 50 firefighters and first responders who keep watch over the Sequoyah community. They have 2 stations, 4 engines and 2 rescue trucks. Dempsey says most of that in part thanks to Chief Brumlow. Brumlow wrote a 200 thousand dollar grant that landed them a new engine, a state of the art pumper.
"It means the world to us, the more we have, means the more we can do for the community," says Demspey.
Chief Brumlow says he's been in the fire service industry for 31 years. He joined the Soddy Daisy Volunteer Fire Department at age 15, his next door neighbor was the chief at the time.
"Still wore pull up boots, long coat riding the tailboard," says Brumlow.
Well certainly the turn out gear has changed in a few decades but the need for volunteers has not. That's why Brumlow is still at it, training and teaching others. He's even started a junior program. Many of the crew members you see here today live outside the community. Brumlow says there's just something about the comradery here at Sequoyah.
"I guess hospitality treating everyone like family, friends, you just ask people to do things...they do it," says Brumlow.
"He wants to carry on, he wants to teach others to carry on and be the best they can be," says Demesey.
Brumlow says he was shocked to be nominated for a Jefferson Award but adds that chasing fire calls at 3 am would classify as public service.
"To be in the public eye, you've got to really know how to treat people, volunteers aren't like employees, you ask volunteers, you don't tell them, that's the reason the firemen here, highly respect me," says Brumlow.
You can read more about Mike Brumlow in the Thanksgiving edition of the Times Free Press.
To learn how you can nominate a deserving person for a Jefferson Award for public service, click here.
