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BY BOBBY HALTON |
THERE’S A GREAT LEGEND IN American business that begins as follows:
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Many years ago in a quiet Arkansas town, an older gentleman parked his beat-up pickup truck and got out on a corner that had two banks. He ambled up the stairs to the first bank. As he opened the door, he noticed that the hours said ‘9 to 12 and 1 to 5.’ As he stepped in, a lady behind a desk looked up briefly and very politely said, ‘Hello, welcome. We’re just beginning our lunch. Would it be possible for you to return at one o’clock when we reopen?’ The gentleman nodded his head, said that would be fine, and walked out of the bank. As he stood on the steps, he noticed the second bank across the street. As he approached the door of the second bank, he noticed that the sign also listed the bank’s hours as ‘9 to 12 and 1 to 5.’ He walked in anyway, anticipating the same response. Nonetheless, he was curious. Seated at a desk was a woman opening a brown paper bag that obviously contained her lunch. She looked up at the older gentleman and said, ‘Welcome, how can I help you?’ He replied, ‘I’m sorry. I see you’re beginning your lunch. I guess I will have to return at one o’clock when you’re finished eating.’ She stood up and said, ‘Not at all, if you don’t mind sharing my sandwich. I can help you right now. What is it that I can do for you?’ With that, she stood up and offered the gentleman half of her sandwich. The older man gratefully took it and sat down. In a cheerful manner, she said, ‘What is it that you’d like me to do?’ He replied, ‘I would like to open up a new business account.’ She said, ‘That’s outstanding. Let me begin to fill out the paperwork. Okay, what is your name?’ The older gentleman replied in a low voice, ‘My name is Sam Walton.’ That woman’s kindness, her genuine interest in Mr. Walton that day, and her genuine love of service made a huge difference for her and her bank. |
Service is an incredibly important value. The fire service is a service culture. Providing service for others is not a burden but a blessing. We who have been able to provide service to others understand this well. We could not imagine any other life as fulfilling or as rewarding. The exceptional service providers among us are revered and emulated. Such is the case with the men and women serving in West Palm Beach (FL) Fire Rescue.
Over the July 4, 2012, weekend, a large and very close-knit family gathered to celebrate the wedding of the oldest grandchild in West Palm Beach, Florida. They traveled from far and wide, and the excitement and joy were evident as each new member of the family arrived at the hotel. No one’s arrival or presence, save for the bride’s, was more celebrated or more anticipated than that of the family patriarch. The leader of this incredible family was a widowed 88-year-old gentleman of legendary kindness, a veteran, a craftsman, an engineer, and a dedicated and devoted father and husband-a man of faith whose generosity and caring had nurtured a family with unconditional love and good example.
The family had decided to attend the fireworks demonstration to be held at the beach on the night of July 4. While he was being pushed in his wheelchair toward the beach, the chair’s leading wheels caught a crack in the concrete and jammed. The sudden stop caused the gentleman in the wheelchair to be thrown into the street, where he landed headfirst with a sickening thud. The family quickly got their most valuable member back into his chair, but they did not know the extent of the injuries he might have sustained.
They were able to quickly locate a West Palm Beach Fire Rescue member, who summoned a paramedic crew quickly and efficiently. The crew approached the gentleman with a level of respect and admiration that one would think was reserved for the President. They asked him his name, and they called him “Mister.” They inquired about his injury and the mechanism of his injury; they listened intently and spoke to him, not about him. Their care and concern were obvious.
Although the injury did not appear to be significant, the medics advised the patient and the two family members, his son and son-in-law, that the mechanism of injury sounded significant and that a CAT scan would probably be indicated based on what had happened to the patient and the patient’s age. They recommended that the patient be transported to the local hospital for evaluation by a doctor. All the while they were treating the patient, the crowds had grown significantly, as the fireworks show had concluded and the sidewalk traffic had greatly increased. The rescue crew did not become distracted or lose their focus. They ably and efficiently loaded the patient and asked the son if he would like to ride in the back to accompany his dad.
The outstanding professionalism, the degree of etiquette, and the outstanding interpersonal skills of the West Palm Beach Fire Rescue crew that night were no accident. Their demeanor and behavior were a direct reflection of the values and the principles that guide their department. Those values and principles are modeled by the leadership of that organization; they matched the values of that gentleman and his family.
My family will always appreciate the exceptional treatment and care of these responders that night. My father-in-law passed away this January, but the care he received that night from the West Palm Beach Fire Rescue members was exceptional and fitting for a man of exceptional character.
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