Fighting Fire in the Community

By: Tamara Serwer Caldas, Deputy Directror

One afternoon earlier this summer I found myself in the meeting room of the Atlanta Fire Department’s Station 4 speaking with about 20 firefighters from Squad 6.  Daytime TV was playing on a flatscreen television, and a couple of the firefighters were relaxing on worn-out couches joking good-naturedly, but obviously tired after eight hours on duty.  I had come to talk about end of life legal documents such as a Last Will & Testament and Advance Directive for Health Care in support of an ambitious and wonderfully generous initiative led by Troutman Sanders, LLP, in partnership with AVLF and Georgia Power.  Through this pro bono project, all Atlanta firefighters and their partners may secure a will and all related legal documents free of charge. 

The firefighters of Squad 6, all of whom happened to be men (there are a number of women in the Department as well) are among the elite of the fire department – the men trained in special operations who respond to hazmat and other chemical disasters and extricate people from buildings such as the collapsed parking garage at Georgia Tech a couple of years ago.  They listened intently and patiently as I spoke, with a raised eyebrow or two when I explained who would inherit their property in the absence of a properly-executed will.  Although I was skeptical that all of them would follow through on this opportunity right away, I grew increasingly confident that the information I was giving was valuable and would lead eventually to action.   

After speaking for about 45 minutes about end-of-life decisions (something all of them have considerably more experience with than I do!), I relaxed and had a very down to earth conversation with these highly trained and extremely professional first responders.  Their Station sits at the corner of Edgewood and the Connector, a place I drive by every day on my way to work at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, so I felt like we had a common sense of community.  They discussed with great sensitivity their concern for the homeless men and women who sleep under the interstate overpass across the street from their Station and the problems of homelessness generally.  They described the fire hazards caused by the growing number of properties turned empty due to foreclosures, and the problem of buildings occupied illegally by people who had nowhere else to find shelter.  I hadn’t expected to learn so much from them on this visit, but appreciated their perspective and now carry it with me as I consider the hazards involved in the substandard housing where many of AVLF’s other clients live.

In the end, the firefighters drove me back to Peachtree Center in their shiny red fire truck, a fact that my school-age children LOVE to share with their teachers and classmates.  (And yes, I’ve told the story a time or two as well!)  They were so appreciative of my time and interest in helping them and deeply curious about the work of AVLF.  My afternoon reminded me about the importance of reaching out to people where they live and work, listening with an open heart to their stories and finding common cause in unexpected places.